


The Hanged Man

by LittleDarlingXOX



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Episode, Betrayal, Episode: s01e12 Malec, Episode: s01e13 Morning Star, Gen, M/M, Parabatai Bond, Post-Episode: s01e12 Malec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-05-31 18:49:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 31,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6482935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleDarlingXOX/pseuds/LittleDarlingXOX
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An alternate ending of episode 1x12 "Malec" and moving into episode 1x13 "Morning Star". It isn't just the cup that's stolen from the institute on the night of the wedding. Valentine has plans to reunite his family, whatever the cost, and Alec just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eight of Cups

**Author's Note:**

> The Hanged Man is a willing victim, someone who has chosen the path of sacrifice to accomplish a higher goal. He is like the ultimate martyr, putting his self-interest aside and giving up his personal needs for the greater good.
> 
> Eight of Cups- meanings: Choosing to leave. A surprise departure.

Hodge stared down at the unconscious form of Lydia Branwell lying motionless across the debris of a broken table, blood trickling down from a cut at her temple onto the carpet. He shook off the ache in his hand from the force of the blow and stooped to pick up the cup from the ground. Hodge clutched it in one hand as he twisted the ring on his finger.

An image of Valentine shimmered to life before him.

"I've done what you've asked me to do." He said.

"You have the mortal cup?" asked Valentine.

Hodge held it up as proof. Its surface gleamed in flashes of gold and iridescent light under the overhead lights. Hodge took a moment to admire it, thinking of the possibilities that had now opened up to him. Now that he had the cup he could finally be free of this institute. "Help me break my curse."

Valentine stepped forward with his stele. "I suppose a deal is a deal."

Valentine started drawing a rune over the circle rune on Hodge's neck, and talked as he worked. Listening to what he was saying helped distract Hodge from the burning on his neck.

"I'm going to reunite my family, starting with Jace and Jocelyn. It's imperative that you bring me Jocelyn, if Clary finds a way to wake her while she's still in the institute then I'll never get her back."

"Jace isn't going to come to you willingly. You'll have to find a way to draw him out of the institute." Hodge advised.

"We'll find a way. Don't you worry." He stepped back as the curse of Hodge's circle rune came undone. Already Hodge could feel the binds of the curse that tied him to the institute grounds fading away.

"Now go to Jocelyn and I'll open a portal for you there," order Valentine.

Hodge twisted his ring again and the image of Valentine vanished into thin area. He left the room quickly, shutting the door to hide the side of Lydia sprawled on the floor from any prying eyes. With the drama of the wedding still felt by everyone in the institute it would be unlikely that anyone would come to talk to her, preferring to give her her space after being rejected at the altar. He relieved Luke of his station watching Jocelyn and, once he was alone again, twisted his ring to call Valentine back.

"I'm here. How do I open the portal?" He asked.

"Hold the cup up towards the far wall and think of my location. A portal there will open before you."

Hodge did as he was told and sure enough a purple doorway materialized against the far wall. Hodge circled Jocelyn's body till he stood at her feet. He took hold of her ankles and pushed, walking her body through the portal until she had disappeared on the other side.

"Hey Hodge have you seen—" Alec's voice faltered as he entered the room and saw the scene in front of him. Alec seemed to have just come from his room. He'd changed out of his wedding suit into something more comfortable. Hodge watched as Alec's confused gaze flickered from himself to the image of Valentine standing where Jocelyn's body had once floated to the portal in the corner of the room.

"What are you doing?" He questioned, voice guarded. Hodge didn't miss the way Alec's fingers twitched towards his shoulder where his bow and quiver hung glamoured, body sliding into a tense crouch.

Hodge sighed and slipped the cup into his messenger bag. "You should have stayed with Magnus, Alec. I didn't want to have to hurt you."

Alec didn't bother with a retort, saving his energy instead for action. The glamour fell away as Alec drew his bow from his shoulder, but he didn't have the chance to notch an arrow for Hodge's reaction time was faster. He chucked one of his chakram blades, snapping the string of Alec's bow in half. Alec dropped the bow, startled, his bleeding hand clutched to his chest protectively.

Hodge twirled the other blade still in his hand and advanced across the room towards Alec. "I'm really sorry about this, Alec."

"No," Valentine spoke up from behind him. "Don't kill him. We can use him."

"Screw you," spat Alec, face tilting up to stare at Valentine and only emphasizing the heat in his gaze. "I'm not doing anything for you."

Hodged turned back to Valentine with a knowing shrug. "I could have told you that. He's of no use to us. He doesn't believe in our cause."

"It doesn't matter what he _believes_ ," said Valentine with a smile. "It's who he knows. Jace is his parabatai, isn't he? If we hold him captive, Jace is bound to come for him."

" _Jace_ ," whispered Alec. Hodged watched Alec take a step backwards towards the door, saw his eyes flicker towards his only escape. He was going to try to warn Jace, that urge to protect his family members at all cost overriding even his own sense of self preservation. Hodge had trained Alec, honed that instinct of his himself. He knew Alec just as much as Jace claimed to and he was on him before he could run away, yanking him back across the threshold with a hand clamped tight over his mouth and an arm across his chest.

Alec struggled as Hodge pulled him back towards the portal on the far wall, fighting against Hodge's restrictive grip with sharp fingernails and painful elbow blows to Hodge's torso, even going so far as sinking his teeth into the hand across his mouth. Hodge threw his weight backwards, keeping Alec's feet off the floor, intent of giving him as little traction as possible to fight back with. Somewhere around halfway across the room, Alec realized he wasn't going to escape and changed tactics, kicking out at anything within reach. He knocked over tables and decorative ornaments, glass shattering on the floor. Hodge understood that Alec thought if he could make enough noise he could draw other shadowhunters to his aid. Hodge was intent on not letting it come to a battle in the institute.

He dragged Alec through the portal. It rippled and shimmered purple as Alec reached out to grasp its edge in a last ditch effort to remain at the institute. His fingers slipped loose with a hard yank from Hodge and then they were through to the other side and the portal was closing before their eyes.

Hodge dumped Alec on the ground unceremoniously and shook out his aching hand.

"Man, Alec. No one told me you were a biter." He admired the set of teeth marks in the fleshy part of his palm under the overhead lights.

"Why?" asked Alec from his fallen spot on the floor. Hodge did is best to ignore the younger man's glare. "Why betray your family?"

"Because I had a family in the members of the circle before I joined the institute and just like you, Alec, I'm loyal to my family."

"Don't say that like it means you and I are the same." snapped Alec. "I'm not a traitor to my own kind."

Alec pushed off the wet cement of the abandoned factory and got to his feet. He took a moment to turn and admire his surroundings, or Hodge thought, more specifically the rogue shadowhunters that guarded the area. The boy had to understand that he was outnumbered.

A moment later, Alec turned back to face him. Hodge could read his expression like his thoughts were written in ink across his forehead. He'd accepted the sacrifice that had to be made. He knew that he might not survive this. "I might not be able to stop this from happening, but there's nothing stopping me from making your lives as difficult as possible."

Hodge smiled and motioned for two guards to come forward. They gripped Alec tightly by either arm and led him away towards the holding cell.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Hodge murmured to himself as he watched them go.


	2. Five of Cups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five of Cups-meanings: Feeling betrayed. Acceptance of misfortune.

Alec thought the term “holding cell” was a bit of an overstatement. Either all the previous people that were placed in here were of Clary’s dwarfish predisposition or this cell wasn’t meant to hold people. The term “cage” came to mind. Alec pressed his back against the farthest corner of his cell and slid down to sit on the ground. His aching neck and back couldn’t take anymore hunched standing for the evening and at least now he could stretch out his legs a bit. He flexed them briefly and pulled one up towards his chest, planting his arm across it.

He honestly didn’t remember dozing off, but the next moment he was blinking his crusted eyes open and rubbing away the imprint of chain links from his cheek. The rustling of fabric drew his mind away from his own stiff limbs towards his surroundings.

He could get his bearings better now, the darkness of nighttime having faded away. Now, the sunlight aided the pathetic flicker of the overhead fluorescents, illuminating the tarp-covered carcasses of old machinery. With a notion of his location forming in his head, Alec tapped into the power of his runes and listened hard, imagining himself passing through the walls of the warehouse. When he could practically feel the breeze on his skin, the tell-tale drone of foghorns rung in his ears. Alec jerked back into the cage wall with a startled grin. The East River.

The joy of figuring out his location was quickly muffled as he picked up the sound of footsteps crossing the room.

“Hodge?” asked Alec, shifting to get a closer look.

“Wrong. Care for another guess?”

“What are doing here? Don’t you have an army to be raising?” Alec asked as Valentine rounded the set of machinery nearest him.

“Oh I do, but what’s the point of an army when you’re missing your second in command?”  

Alec watched Valentine pick at the dirt under his nails, his anger growing upon seeing the easy way he carried himself. _How could a man murder, steal, and generally ruin the lives of everyone around him and not show the slightest hint of caring?_ Alec wondered.

“If you came here for help, you might as well turn around and leave now. I won’t be responsible for bringing Jace to you and killing everything that’s good in him.”

His words seemed to have perked Valentine’s interest, for he dragged his eyes away from his nails long enough to ask, “How do you know I’m not going to help him? I’m his father, after all.”

Alec threaded his fingers through the links of his prison, pulling himself onto his knees. “From what he’s told me, you’re more like a nightmare that deserves to stay in his past. Blood doesn’t make you family and Jace doesn’t need a psychopath like you as his father.”

Valentine tutted at him like an admonishing tutor. The sound brought Hodge to the front of Alec’s mind and the memory of his betrayal sunk Alec into an even fouler mood. “Careful now, Lightwood. Saying things like that could get you into trouble.”

He was already in trouble, what did it matter? _We’re Lightwoods. We break noses and accept the consequences,_ Alec reminded himself. In just one night he’d been kidnapped, betrayed, and locked in a _stupidly_ small cage. Therefore he couldn’t bring himself to heed caution as he quipped,

“As a shadowhunter, I’m predisposed to die at a young age. I’m not scared of you.”

Valentine barked a laugh. “Oh, you should be. At least for the sake of your family. Your parents. You’re brother and sister. You could stop all of them from getting hurt. All you have to do is bring me Jace.”

 _If that was truly the only thing you were asking me to do_ . Betray one family member, and not just anyone—  his _parabatai_ , to save the others. Alec thought of Max save in Idris and wanted to be reassured by the thought. He couldn’t help wondering for how long, though? Valentine was raising an army to dismantle the Clave as Alec sat here and made up his mind. Things were coming to a head, fast. If Alec took this deal, would he only be trying to save his family from an unpreventable war? And if he didn’t, would his refusal really stop Valentine from bringing Jace over to his side or just serve as a speedbump in his path to world domination?

“Tick, tock, Alexander,” insisted Valentine.

At the end of the day Alec knew he had to go with his gut feeling.

He glared up at the man that fathered Jace, the man that was trying to take his brother from him. “It’s Alec. And you can go to hell.”

Valentine sighed, “I had a feeling you were going to say something like that. I guess it’s a good thing you’re parabatai…”

Alec got to his feet, “What are you talking about?”

Valentine turned towards the door that led into a subsection of the warehouse and watched him raised his voice for it to carry through across the distance, “Starkweather!”

A moment later a door banged open and hurried footsteps scuffed across the cement floor. Hodge appeared around the bend. Alec slammed his fist into the chain-link fencing. It was enough to earn a glance backwards from Valentine. “What do you mean _It’s a good thing we’re parabatai_?”

Valentine indulge him with a cruel smile. “Your parabatai rune of course. It links you two together. We’re going to send Jace a message.”

Alec remembered his own experience tracking Jace through their parabatai rune— the pain that had washed over his body and the irreparable damage he’d almost caused. He stared at Valentine horrified, not believing that this was really happening even as he watched Valentine take out his stele.  

Hodge, at least seemed to share Alec’s opinion. “You can’t really be serious? Contact through a parabatai rune is dangerous for both parties. Their bond is still weakened from the last time Alec tracked Jace. Trying again so soon could break the bond.”

Valentine spun his stele around between his fingers like he was considered that new information. Finally, he shrugged. “A necessary risk.”

A gesture with his stele cut through the chain that secured the cage door to its frame. Alec’s eyes followed its position as it slithered like a snake through the poles and clattered to the floor. The door creaked open.

Valentine slanted his gaze at him.

“Don’t make Starkweather drag you out of there,” he warned.

Alec stayed rooted to the spot. There was a feeling crawling its way up the back of this throat and, for the life of him, he couldn’t tell if it was fear, anger, or something in-between the two. He looked towards Hodge, the only man in the room that could be reasoned with. “I considered you family once. That doesn’t have to change just because you’ve made a few mistakes. There’s still a chance to do something right.”

Hodge shook his head, looking defeated. “The Clave won’t be as willing to forgive me as you are, Alec. I’ll spend the rest of my life imprisoned. You don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve seen the outside world. Since I’ve seen my family. I can’t go back to that sad excuse for living… I have a life that exists outside the walls of the institute.”

“What kind of a life will you be living if you let _him_ — ” Alec thrusted a hand towards Valentine, “ — rule the shadow world? How do you know he’ll even keep his word? What if this is the last good thing you ever do? Do you really want to take that chance?”

Hodge’s eyes flickered between Alec and Valentine, his internal turmoil so strong it was almost palpable. Alec’s hope sparked to life, he could see that he was breaking through to him. If he only had more time to convince him…

“Starkweather,” Valentine grunted the name, “I gave—”

“Shut up!” Alec snapped. “You might have be eager to betray your parabatai bond, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”

Valentine’s expression darkened. He was dangerously silent and when he finally decided to speak, his words were calculated.

“Help this boy and our deal is void.”

It didn’t take a genius to understand what that meant. If he helped Alec, Hodge was a dead man. Scarred hands clasped onto Alec’s upper arm and yanked him out of the cell. Alec squeezed his eyes shut tight. He couldn’t be disappointed with Hodge when there was that voice in his head nagging him, _You have a family just like him. Would you really choose any different?_

Hodge restrained Alec’s arms to his sides with his own. For only a second Alec thought about struggling. It had been no use before, though, so why try now? Hodge’s breath fanned across Alec’s hair as Valentine readied his stele. A moment before the stele burned a fiery path into his skin, Alec caught Hodge’s broken whisper, “I’m so sorry, Alec.”

Any response Alec could have formed was lost in the cry of pain that tore its way out of Alec’s throat. His side was on fire as if someone had stuck him with a hot poker, but worse than that was the reaction it had on his parabatai rune. Such an intrusion on their bond wasn’t natural. Alec and felt it the first time he had tapped into that power and it was even worse now with his refusal to reach out towards Jace.

Alec choked back another scream and thrashed in Hodge’s hold, hunching and twisting his body, his feet slipping along the cement floors. His only thought was to release the fire that was coursing through him. Alec clenched his teeth until he feared his teeth would crack into pieces and tried to build a blockade within his mind, but the power surged so strong that he couldn’t hold it for more than a moment.

Another pain flared up, enough to shock Alec into focus. His eyes flashed open to stare at the watery image of Valentine stationed in front of him. He blinked at him without comprehending the source of his pain until Valentine glanced down towards the floor. Hodge’s stele was dug into the flesh of Alec’s thigh. Alec couldn’t say for sure how long it had been there for but it had burned a hole through the fabric of his jeans to blacken the skin underneath. The pain, though small compared to the agony activated by rune, was enough to anchor him back to his surroundings. Alec’s hearing returned next along with Hodge’s words yelled against his ear,

“Alec, you need to reach out to Jace. You can’t block the connection once the rune is drawn. Imagine him in your head, just like before.”

Alec remembered Hodge’s hand gripping his own, his voice guiding him through the pain just like he was doing now.

“If he resists any longer he might just kill himself.” observed Valentine.

Hodge dug his steele deeper in response. “ _Alec_ , reach out before it’s too late. Don’t let your bond break— don’t kill yourself because you think it’ll save Jace… It won’t. Jace won’t survive your death, no matter how strong you may think his is, he won’t be able to survive that kind of loss.”

Alec sobbed. He didn’t want to reach out to him. What kind of parabatai would he be if he brought Jace into Valentine’s trap? But Hodge was right, the most important rule of being parabatai was preserving the bond. Alec keened and let the damn within his mind break, felt the enchantment’s powerful current sweep his thoughts far away— across the city blocks and milling people to that _one_ that he was connected to more than anyone else in this world. Jace appeared in his mind’s eye, illuminated in angelic incandescence, and along with the image came the slow ebbing away of that fiery pain that had burning within Alec’s entire being. The aftereffect was euphoric and dizzying. As Jace’s image faded so did Alec’s vision, dissolving in a buzz of dots.

His feet gave out and it was only Hodge’s death grip on him that kept Alec from crashing to the floor. Hodge slid down to the floor with him still clutched to his body. Alec tried to blink through his obstructed vision, hands scrambling for the hem of his t-shirt.

Hodge’s hands seized his and held them still. “Stop! Breathe, just breathe before you pass out.”

Alec’s head thumped painfully into the concrete as he tilted his head back to expand his breathing. Electric currents ran the length of Alec’s arms and legs until he finally regained feeling in his limbs. Motion in Alec’s peripheral signaled the silent departure of Valentine Morgenstern. What he wouldn’t give for the strength to spit a final ‘fuck you’ at the man, but as it was Alec didn’t possess the strength and what he did have needed to be used for more important issues.

Alec licked his lips, the salty taste coating his tongue. When had he bitten his lip bloody? His fingers twitched in Hodge’s hold, aching to reach towards his torso where his parabatai rune was drawn.

“ _My rune?_ ” He croaked through a dry throat.

He had to know that it was still there, that the angelic fire hadn’t burnt it away to a layer of ash against his skin because of his initial resistance. As it was, the pain that wracked his body was too great to be able to feel it tether.

Hodge’s hands were delicate as he shifted Alec off the ground and pulled his shirt up his torso to expose the expanse of skin. His rush of exhaled breath had Alec fearing the worst.

“It’s still there.” Hodge took one of Alec’s hands and traced his fingers through the strokes.

A laugh burst from Alec’s mouth before he could stop it and soon after, another. The emotion Alec was feeling, however, wasn’t joy.  “Jace is never going to forgive me.”

“He will,” reassured Hodge as he helped sit him up, Alec’s back propped against his hip. “It’s not you he’ll blame for this. Trust me.”

And Alec knew that Hodge was right. He also knew that nothing was going to be the same after this. None of them were going to be the same people they were a day ago. He didn’t want to think about that yet.

“Alec?” Hodge’s voice came from far away.

Unconsciousness was a welcomed retreat.


	3. Two of Cups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two of Cups-meanings: Duality. Two minds and hearts coming together and functioning as one.

Jace heard the _tap tap_ of Isabelle’s heels on the wood floors as she approached before the door opened into the room. Jace stretched in his chair and tried in vain to rub the bleariness from his eyes without much effect as Isabelle approached the bedside. He circled his thumb across the back of Lydia’s hand as he studied her even breathing. Jace remembered coming across her, left sprawled out on the floor with blood trickling into her hair. She didn’t deserve this, he thought once again, she deserved to be happily back in Idris with her family.

Right now, however, he’d settle for her waking up and giving him some answers to what the _hell_ happened last night. Hodge breaking his punishment rune and fleeing the institute, Jocelyn and the cup vanishing into thin air, Lydia injured… the shit was hitting the metaphorical fan and Jace couldn’t hide in here forever, he’d have to face those problems eventually.

He stared at Alec’s broken bow propped against the bedside table, snapped string halves dangling from the ends. Jace had stepped on one of the limbs in his rush to Lydia’s side and its presence in that room had only served to increase his worry. There had been no sign of Alec since Lydia had been found and no answer from his phone. There was always the chance that he was at Magnus’ place… after that kiss, well… Jace could see how someone would think they’d like some alone time. The rational part of his brain argued that Lydia could have used the bow in self-defense. Shadowhunters were trained to use any weapon, after all.

Except Jace knew, Alec. He knew that Alec would _never_ leave his bow lying around for someone else to use. He was too possessive of it. So Alec had to have been in that room with Lydia when she was attacked. What did that mean for his parabatai, then? Jace tapped his stele against his knee, toying with the idea of tracking him through their parabatai rune as his panic resurfaced. It was too dangerous, though, almost getting him killed the last time Alec had done it without his consent. He was still angry about it, to be honest.

And if Alec _was_ with Magnus at the moment Jace didn’t think he’d appreciate his rune flaring up like someone had injected him with demon venom while they were… _well_ , Jace didn’t really want to think about that, but safe to say it would be a mood killer. Jace would definitely not be getting a parabatai of the year award for over-reacting on an epic scale. He had to make sure first, so he waited as Isabelle went to check the institutes security cameras.

He turned around in his chair to look at her. “Anything?”

Isabelle opened her mouth to respond but stalled on the right words to say.  

“Well?” Jace snapped and regretted it instantly when Isabelle flinched, her expression hurt.

Her brows furrows together. “I think it’s best if you saw for yourself.”

That didn’t bode well. Jace followed her out of the room, right on her heels as they crossed into the command center. Isabelle motioned for him to sit in the chair in front of the screen, the camera footage of Lydia’s room paused and another video feed was visible behind it, both waiting to be played. Jace perched uneasily on the edge of the chair, Isabelle hovering close behind him. Jace couldn’t believe that he was afraid of a video, afraid of answers, but if Isabelle’s expression was anything to go by the news wasn’t good. He took a steadying breath and clicked play.

He watched the footage as it transitioned between the camera feeds in silence and when it was done he replayed both again, not believing what he was seeing.

“Hodge,” breathed Jace, the name Lydia uttered before passing out finally making sense… and yet, it didn’t. Hodge was family. Hodge was their friend, closest of all to Alec. Why would he attack him?

“I checked with Magnus just to make sure,” stated Isabelle as Jace swivelled the chair to face her. “He said they parted ways with the intent of meeting up tomorrow for drinks. Alec had said he was going to thank Lydia before she left for Idris.”

“Did he ask why you wanted to know?”asked Jace.

Isabelle’s grimace was positively painful as she replied, “He assumed I was just being a nosy sister. I— I didn’t tell him that Alec has been missing for at least four hours now and that date wasn’t going to happen. At least for now, it’s better that he stays in the dark. This is a shadowhunter issue. It should stay that way for as long as possible.”

It was good to see that Isabelle had learned something from her mini-Maryse phase.

Jace stood up from the chair and looked around at the other members of the institute going out the business of tracking the cup. His anger was audible in his words, “How many shadowhunters in this institute and not _one_ of them were there to stop Alec from being taken? It’s no wonder the Clave thinks we’re incompetent when we can’t even protect one of our own.”

“ _Jace_ ,” Isabelle snapped, “keep your voice down. I haven’t even told Mom and Dad yet.”

“You don’t think they need to know that he’s missing?” asked Jace.

Isabelle crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed at her upper arms. “Let them deal with Jocelyn and the cup. We’ll be responsible for finding Alec, he’s as much our responsibility as we are his.”

Jace weighted the idea in his head for a moment, considering the implication of leaving the Clave and the other institute members in the dark. He thought about the fact that Alec was stolen right under their noses and realized that Isabelle was right, the Clave and their outdated law book would only slow them down. They’d only treat them like kids at the adult table. Jace and Isabelle weren’t children though, and Alec was their brother. If there was anyone who could find him before he got hurt it was them.

“Just the two of us,” agreed Jace. “Okay, first things first. If we want to find Alec, our best chance would be to find Hodge.”

“Luke already has his pack working on tracking him by scent.”

“So we’ll head to the Jade Wolf and see what they’ve found.” Jace glanced down at the suit he was still wearing, crinkled from sleeping upright, and Isabelle’s golden gown. “We need to change. Meet you back in five to gear up?”

Isabelle nodded and headed down the hall towards her room. Jace sighed and headed towards his own. He tugged his bowtie loose from his neck and shrugged off his suit jacket dropping them both on his bed. He toed off his dress shoes while he started unbuttoning his shirt. Even with the small amount of sleep he’d gotten at Lydia’s bedside, he still felt unbelievably tired, but that weariness was interrupted abruptly as his body was hit with a painful spasm.

He didn’t understand what was happening at first, but a minute later he understood all too well, remembering the sensation that he’d felt only days ago. Jace gasped and struggled with the remaining buttons of his shirt. With a growl he ripped at the fabric, sending buttons bouncing across the floor and rolling to far off corners. He yanked his undershirt up to see his parabatai rune aglow. Jace only had a moment to stare at it, his hands trembling over the skin, afraid to touch before his sight was replaced with blinding light.

Jace gasped at the burn that coursed through his body so suddenly it felt like he’d been struck by lightning and doubled over, his knees cracking against the floor. His grasped his torso and dug his fingernails into the flesh of his sides as the white light transformed into images. Valentine was standing in front of him, stele in hand,  his figure visibly distorted through watery eyes. Jace was aware of the fact that his eyes weren’t in control, that the images were Alec’s transmitted to him through their bond. His eyes followed Alec’s own— taking in the abandoned warehouse and the faded lettering on the far wall lit up under flickering lights— trying to absorb every detail of his location before it was too late. He had no idea how long this connection would last, especially when he could feel the all-consuming pain that Alec was undergoing. Jace felt like he was being tortured himself, being able to feel his parabatai’s pain but not being able to do anything to stop it.

He stretched out his hand, fingers trying to pass through the apparition. Jace felt like he was there in that moment, feeling the burning on his thigh and the arms pinioning his own to his sides.

“Alec,” he cried out, hoping his voice would pass through the connection. The bond wasn’t a one way transmission. He’d heard Alec’s call the last time he’d tracked through the bond, and there was the chance that his call would be heard this time too and bring some comfort to his brother-at-arms.

The connection broke like a cord snapping, slamming Jace back into his own body and catching his breath in his throat. There were hands on his shoulder blades, he was conscious of them only because of the way his body trembled under their touch.

“Jace,” Isabelle’s voice was hesitant, as if she weren’t sure if Jace was back with her or not.

“Alec,” croaked Jace, pushing himself up until he was kneeling on the floor. His fingers traced the grooves his nails had scratched into the floor. He hadn’t realized he’d done that. “Someone tried to access our rune connection, but it wasn’t him. I could feel his resistance to reach for me… I think— I think it was a message. I saw Valentine there.”

Jace looked up at Isabelle, his feelings too raw to hide from her. He was terrified and he could see that she was too. He clutched at her hands. “I think Valentine has him.”

“Then he’s using him as bait to get to you.” Isabelle closed her eyes and Jace felt the tremor that surged through her body via their connected hands. When she opened her eyes again she looked nauseated by the thought if only because she knew what it meant for her brother.

Jace understood as well without the words needing to be said. “I can’t leave him there. If I don’t show—  if Alec can’t be used to draw me to Valentine— he’ll be of no use. Valentine will kill him.”

Isabelle clutched his hands tighter. “And what happens to you if you do go? There’s a chance that Alec will be killed anyway and you’ll be Valentine’s captive. Don’t you think Alec’s thought of that? That it was the reason he resisted the connection.”

It did sound like something Alec would do. Jace grunted a pitiful excuse for a laugh. “Alec always hated being the distraction. Guess nothing’s changed.”

Isabelle looked like she wanted to smile but couldn’t under the circumstances. At that moment the door burst open and Clary stumbled to a stop before she could trip over them. She spared only a moment to flash them a confused look at their crumpled positions on the floor.

“Luke just called me. He said his pack caught Hodge’s scent and that we should head over right away.”

Jace struggled to his feet, the ache in his body a prominent reminder of the pain that Alec was probably in. “Right. Get your mundie friend. We’re going to need his van.”

Clary rolled her eyes at him. “You can remember that he owns a van but you can’t remember his name?”

“His name isn’t important. His van is.” countered Jace.

“Whatever,” Clary sighed before heading back down the hall.

Isabelle gave Jace the privacy he needed to change. He found her waiting outside her door, whip coiled around her arm, her other hand holding a duffel bag of weapons. She extended the bag to him as he closed his door. “We’re in a hurry. You can gear up on the ride over.”

They piled into van with Clary in the driver’s seat and Isabelle seated next to her to keep her company. Jace climbed into the back of the van so that he could pull weapons from the duffel and strap them to his person as they drove over to the Jade Wolf.

Clary pulled the van out into the city bustle and Simon hissed like a cat that had been sprayed with water from his seated position against the door. In the distance the sun was stretching its rays between the buildings, though it was too early for it to be more than a red back glow.  “I don’t suppose any of you thought about the fact that you’re bringing a vampire outside at dawn?”

“You alright back there, Simon?” asked Isabelle. “It’s starting to smell like singed hair up here.”

“Yeah, well me and sunlight aren’t very simpatico at the moment.”

“Oh, you’ll be fine,” said Jace. He dug around in the bed of the van and shook off a worn blanket. He chucked it back towards Simon. “Just put this over your head.”

Simon heaved a sigh looking like he wasn’t going to do what Jace said, but then a flash of sunlight reflected off the rearview mirror. Simon’s hand flashed up to shield his face, the skin smoldering in the light. Simon gasped and threw the blanket over himself.

“So not cool, guys,” he grunted.

“So, is Alec meeting us there?” asked Clary as she turned at a corner. Isabelle half turned in her seat to flash an anxious look at him. _What do we tell her?_ she mouthed at him.

Jace shook his head and gave a helpless shrug. Isabelle rolled her eyes at him.

“No...”

There was a long stretch of silence, enough time for Jace and Isabelle to assume that Clary had left the question drop from her mind, but as they were approaching the restaurant she seemed to come up with a new reasoning.

“Oh, so he’s with Magnus helping him track down Camile?”  Clary asked as she pulled into a space around the back of the Jade Wolf.

“Um, no,” replied Isabelle, cautiously. “he’s not there either.”

“What? Then where the hell is he?” cried Clary, turning around in her seat to look at both of them. Her eyes flickered between them. She levered a finger between them, “Don’t lie to me. Where’s Alec?”

Isabelle pressed her lips into a tight line. Jace knew that she wasn’t the one responsible for telling Clary. “Best guess is with your mother. Hodge took him when he stole your mother and the cup out of the institute.”

“ _What?_ ” Simon’s startled voice was audible under the blanket. “Magnus is _so_ not going to like being stood up.”

Jace nearly rolled his eyes at the vampire’s priorities under the circumstances.“Shut up, Vampire.”

Clary’s mouth parted in shock and confusion. “I don’t understand. Why would Hodge take Alec?”

“Because Valentine ordered him to so that I would come after him,” answered Jace. “You heard him that night he tried to take the cup from us… he wants to reunite our family. He has Alec, I make a deal to save him. When he has me, you try to rescue me. When he has both of us, if Jocelyn can be woken, she’ll go to him to keep us safe. Valentine knows our relationships are our weaknesses and he’ll use them against us to get what he wants.”

“If all you just said is true then how do we beat him?” Clary shoved her hair back from her face. Jace could practically see her mind racing through the possibilities.

It was Isabelle who spoke up. “We do something he won’t be expecting. Valentine is a shadowhunter, so he thinks like a shadowhunter. He’ll either expect Jace to go in on his own or he’ll expect us to alert the Clave and send in an army. What he won’t expect is for us to work alongside downworlders like Luke’s pack, Magnus Bane, or Raphael’s vampire clan. If we do what he isn’t expecting there’s less chance of us walking into a trap.”

“Isabelle’s right,” agreed Jace, “So, let’s put words into actions.”

He threw the van door open much to the displeasure of Simon. “C’mon, Luke is waiting.”

Isabelle and Jace stood under the restaurant awning, with Isabelle propping the door open with her boot. They watched together as Clary hurried a blanket-covered Simon into the darkness of the building. Jace and Isabelle followed after them, walking to the back where Luke and his pack were waiting in a tense circle.

Jace pushed his way into the middle until he stood in front of Luke. Jace threw out his hands. “What are you all doing here? I thought you were out tracking Hodge.”

“We did,” stated Alaric, Luke’s second-in-command, “We tracked him by scent all the way to the docks and almost had him until a gang of newly-made shadowhunters spilled through a portal and attacked us.”

It was only then that Jace noticed the first-aide kit open next to Luke’s hip. He scanned the other werewolves of Luke’s pack, taking in their various stages of injury.

Isabelle gasped. “He’s really doing it. Valentine, is making new shadowhunters with the mortal cup.”

“We weren’t able to fight them off in time to stop Hodge going through the portal, but he did drop this—” Alaric held up a gold ring.

Jace snatched it out of from between his fingers and held it up to the light. “This was the ring from the video— the one that Hodge used to contact Valentine with. Do you think it takes any special kind of magic for it to work? Or do you just… ”

He twisted it around in his fingers, the temptation to slip it on and find out so strong within him.

“Jace, no!” Clary took a step towards him. “What if Hodge left that ring on purpose for you to find it. What if we’re only doing what he wants us to —”

“It’s my only way to get information on, Alec.” Jace cut across her, voice unyielding. “I need to know that he’s alright. Besides… if we find out where he wants me to meet him, we can take him by surprise when he’s not expecting us.”

No one said anything at that, seeming to accept Jace’s words in silence. Finally, Luke stepped forward and motioned to the back room where Simon had been held prisoner not long ago. “Best if you make the call back there so he doesn’t see the pack. We don’t want to tip him off to the fact that you’re working with downworlders.”

“Right,” grunted Jace and left the rest of the group.

When he was standing in a dark corner of the room, far enough away for the voices of everyone in the front to transform to a muffled din, he slipped the ring onto his finger.

“Jonathan,” Valentine’s glowing image appeared in Jace’s peripheral. Jace spun to face him. “I’ve been expecting you to call.”

“So Hodge did leave the ring behind on purpose.”

Valentine smiled. “Well, just between you and me, I didn’t really care if the ring was still attached to Hodge or not, so long as you were able to contact me. I’m quite surprised that he made it back in one piece.”

Jace took a moment to absorb that information, wondering if Hodge was realizing how little he meant to Valentine by now, or if he was still deluded by memories of the Valentine he remembered.

“I want to see Alec.” declared Jace. “I want to know that he’s alright.”

“I can attest that he’s still breathing,” replied Valentine. “But I’m afraid if you want to see him you’re going to have to come in person and see for yourself.”

“If I go to you, will you let Alec go free unharmed in exchange?” asked Jace.

“It’s a fair trade— you for him. But you better make sure he understands the finality of this deal. If he comes looking for you again and I find him, he won’t be walking away again.”

That wasn’t going to happen. Jace wasn’t going to let it come to that. He was going to rescue Alec, on his terms, and kill Valentine. He wasn’t stupid enough to allow Valentine to live and threaten the people he cared about.

“Trust me, he won’t. Now, where is he?”

Valentine smiled. “We’re at the Red Hook Grain Terminal.”

Jace yanked the ring off his finger and shoved it in his jacket pocket. He let his hand rest in there for a moment as he considered what to do next. The more people Jace got involved in this, the less likely it would be that he’d get a clean shot at Valentine…

“Jace,” Clary’s red hair was visible even with the lack of light that flowed into the room. She peeked around the corner, most likely drawn by the lapse in speaking on Jace’s part.

“Yeah, I’m coming,” Jace made his way back out into the main room where the side conversations that had been happening broke off in favor of hearing the news.

Isabelle came over to stand at his side and Jace was suddenly aware of the fact that he’d never gone on a mission with just Isabelle. Alec had always been with the, watching from the rear for any signs of danger. Jace found himself periodically looking out the corner of his eye, thinking he’d seen Alec’s dark-clad form in his peripheral only to find empty air. He thought about experiencing that for a week… a year, and an unbearable feeling rose up in his chest. He was going to get his parabatai back. _He was_.

“He’s holding Alec at the Red Hook Grain Terminal by the East River.” declared Jace. “We can expect the place to be crawling with newly made shadowhunters, so what we need to do now—”

Jace’s phone came to life in his jacket pocket. He pulled it free of the worn leather and gazed at the caller ID. “It’s Magnus.”

He quirked an eyebrow at them, a silence question if he should answer it.

“He could have information on where Camille is,” suggested Clary, a hopeful glint to her eyes. The knew where Alec was— where Valentine was, and there was a good chance that Clary’s mother was there as well. If they could pull off this rescue mission then their mission to find the book would continue if they wanted to wake her.

Jace groaned. He been so caught up with saving Alec, he hadn’t even remembered Clary’s mother, _his_ mother, had been taken by Valentine again. He took the call. “Hey, Magnus—”

“Put Alexander on the phone, Jace,” Magnus bulldozed over anything Jace was going to say.

“He’s— uh— he’s busy right now, Magnus. Now isn’t really a good time.”

“Hah! Funny you should say that. Speaking of _good times_ , you know what doesn’t make the list? Being stood up on your first official date… you know, with the one you crashed a wedding for. I thought Alec would be able to get drinks together without getting scared off.”

“You’re date? Drinks?” Jace jerked his jacket sleeve up to get a look at his watch. “It’s eight in the morning.”

   “They made plans to get drinks.” Simon piped in, blanket wrapped like a shawl around his shoulders. “Magnus is a fan of mimosas, so they settled on an early breakfast.”

Isabelle cast a quizzical look towards Simon. “Simon, how the hell do you know that? Have you been spying on them or something?”

Simon’s gaze flashed around the group, looking like a cornered animal. “No, I just happened to be around when they had that conversation.”

Clary placed her hand on Simon’s arm. “I thought we talked about this after the wedding. I understand you support them but there’s a line between—”

“Shh,” Jace waved at them. Sidetracked by their conversation, he’d missed a minute of what Magnus had been saying, or well, actually ranting.

“I’ve tried his cell a million times without an answer, so put him on now. I need to have a word with that coward.”

Jace glared at the ceiling, cursing the universe for what he knew he had to do now. “Magnus, I’m going to tell you something and I want you to try not to freak out.”

“Oh god, did you idiots get him injured again?” Jace winced, close but Magnus was underestimating their ability to turn all situations into utter crap.

Jace braced himself for the fallout. “Alec’s been taken. Valentine is holding him in an abandoned grainery by the East River. I don’t want you to worry, we’re going to rescue him.”

Jace listened as the silence stretched on after his words, thinking for a moment that Magnus had hung up.

“Come to my apartment.”

“Magnus—”

“This isn’t up for discussion,” Magnus’ voice was steely. “If you’re going to get Alec back you’re going to need my help. I’m not going to let you go in there blind and risk Alec’s life. Besides, I know where Camille is.”

Jace sighed. “Alright, we’ll be there soon.”

Magnus hung up before Jace could even take the phone from his ear. It was a safe guess to say that he was angry. Jace was angry too. Perhaps they could band together and direct their anger at Valentine and deliver a fatal blow.

“We need to stop at Magnus’.” declared Jace.

Simon moaned. “Oh, _c’mon_! Not the blanket again!”


	4. Two of Wands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys, I want you all to do me a favor and listen to this song "Always be with you" by Walking on Cars. It's been stuck in my head whenever I write this story because the lyrics are just so Jace/Alec centric. I listen to it and I feel like I'm in Alec's head when he's thinking about Jace, especially the part where it goes "Please do you erase me, I know that you can. If it's been for me I know that I'll always be with you."
> 
> Two of Wands-meanings: striking out on a journey. The time for courage.

 

“So how long we’re you going to wait before telling me that Alec was missing?” Magnus braced his hands against the table that usually held a collection of herbs and spellbooks. “I mean, if I hadn’t called when I did and forced your hand.”

 

His expression was as tight as his voice and Jace didn’t miss the normalcy of Magnus’ apartment, which was usually decorated in a different style every time Jace had been over. Jace figured that now Magnus didn’t have time for such frivolous hobbies when Alec’s life hung in the balance.

Jace crossed his arms over his chest, choosing his words carefully. “It was important to me to keep this private until I knew for sure that he was missing. He’s my parabatai. My concern. My responsibility.”

“Oh what and you think that I just crashed his wedding for shits and giggles? Cause I had nothing better to do with my time?” Magnus mimicked Jace’s posture. “I know that the parabatai bond is like nothing else on this earth, but don’t think for a second, Jace Wayland, that your relationship with Alec means more than mine. You can make all the claims you want about priority and Shadowhunter policy but you cannot claim to know my feelings for him. To understand the lengths that I’d go to for him.”

Jace’s eyes dropped to the floor and stayed there. “You’re right. I should have told you sooner.”

“Damn right you should have!”

“Alright, we get it! Alec means a lot to all of us, so let’s stop arguing over past actions and work on getting him back.” Clary stepped forward, placed herself in between them. Behind her Luke and his pack shifted awkwardly at the edges of the room, trying to staying out any drama.

“Agreed,” Isabelle moved to stand next to Clary. “Magnus, you said that you could help us, so help us.”

Magnus ran his hand through his hair. “You said that there was a ring from Hodge?”

Jace nodded, pulling it free of his jacket pocket and holding it up in the air for Magnus to see. “Hodge used it to contact Valentine. He left it behind before escaping back through the portal when Luke’s pack came after him.”

Magnus took a moment to absorb that. “I need to see it. There’s a chance that it still holds a trace of Hodge’s presence. If I can connect with him then there’s a chance I can also connect into his headspace… make use of his eyes.”

“What are you saying?” asked Clary.

“I’m saying… I might be able to see Valentine’s organization through Hodge’s eyes. If we’re lucky, get a look at Alec. I could tell you if he’s alright. That’s what you’re worried about, aren’t you?”

Jace blinked. “How could you tell?”

Magnus’ grimace was full of sympathy. “It’s written all over your face.”

Jace looked away and rubbed at his jawline, giving himself a moment to compose his features into something that wasn’t so exposed. Jace extended his hand with the ring out to Magnus. “Do what you need to do.”

Magnus took the ring into his hands and twisted it around in his fingers for a minute, examining it with a critical eye. When he was satisfied with what he saw he retreated back towards the bookshelf on the side wall and ran his fingers along the book spines, skimming for a specific one. Jace watched him pulled one loose— covered in a grey, scaly cover material that was uncomfortable familiar to Jace— and brought it over to the table.

“Is that cover made out of… demon skin?” Jace asked with a raised eyebrow and a hand pressed to his mouth to suppress his nausea.

Magnus sighed at Jace’s reaction. “Not all of us are lucky enough to have our sacred texts digitized like you shadowhunters. The magic doesn’t come just from reading Chtonian, sometimes the magic is embedded within the spellbook.”

“What’s—” Clary leaned over towards Jace.

“Chtonian is the warlock language used for spells.” supplied Jace.

“Apparently there was a shortage of leather when this spellbook was written…” Magnus continued speaking as his flipped through the book. “so yes, demon skin. A Vetis demon to be more specific.”

“But how is that possible? I thought they disintegrate when they’re killed. ” asked Clary, leaning into Magnus’ space to get a closer look at the cover material.

  “True,” Magnus waved Clary out of his personal space. “ but there are warlock rituals that preserve their physical forms for a short time. Sometimes demon blood is needed for spellcasting.”

Magnus waved at them to be silent and the group did as told. Jace watched as Magnus found the page he was looking for and let his hands hover over the page. His fingers started flexing and twisting as he muttered the enchantment under his breath. The ring in Magnus’ hands started to glow with the warlock’s characteristic blue aurora. Magnus closed his eyes as he worked his way deeper into the spell.

“I found him but there’s strong magic surrounding the area blocking my connection to Hodge. I’m going to try to break through it.”

Jace watched Magnus’ brow furrow in concentration, perspiration breaking out at his temples. A redness bloomed on his cheeks from the strain that it took him to push through the magical barriers, and then all at once he was knocked back. It was only Simon’s newly acquired vampire speed that saved Magnus from falling to the floor.  

“Are you alright?” Simon steaded Magnus and lead him over to the couch positioned behind them. Magnus fell into the cushions, shaking like someone who had been left standing out in the cold.

“It’s too strong, “ gasped Magnus, hand pressed against his torso as he caught his breath. “Whoever put up those wards for Valentine used ancient magic— the kind I’ve only felt a few times in my life. I’m sorry. I’m not strong enough to break through the wards. I thought I could do this for you.”

Jaced took a step forward. “You used Alec’s strength once during a spell when you were healing Luke. Could you do it again, with mine?”

“That was different… healing magic isn’t on the same caliber as the magic necessary to break through ancient wards. Your strength, even added onto mine, might still not be strong enough.”

“If it looks like it isn’t enough, tell us and we’ll add our strength into the mix.” Isabelle raised her chin a little higher in the air, looking more like the defiant woman that Jace was used to seeing. “It’ll be just like when we called the memory demon.”

“I seem to recall that that moment didn’t end so well for all parties involved.” Magnus sent a pointed look at Jace. He pushed himself back to his feet but didn’t argue the point further.

He extended his hand out towards Jace, who took it in his own. Magnus started speaking the enchantment again and this time when his hands glowed blue Jace felt the jolt of magic race through his whole body like an electric current. Jace had felt the same sensation when they’d connected the circle while summoning the memory demon and he now realized it was Magnus’ power surging through his body, latching onto the strength held within him and drawing from it.

Jace didn’t know if he’d closed his eyes or not but suddenly a cloudy image was rising up in front of his eyes. Apparently the extra might that he’d given Magnus was enough to break through the barriers because the image rippled and reformed like an object breaking through a layer of water. The man that stood in front of Jace was speaking, though the words faded in slowly and before Jace could hear more than a few nonsensical words he was moving in the opposite direction, walking down a hallway.

The reality of the situation was jarring to Jace’s own mind. He was aware of the fact that his hand was clasped in Magnus’ own— could feel the other man’s fingers squeezing against his own— but he also knew that the eyes he was seeing through were Hodge’s. He watched Hodge enter into a room that was devoid of people… but wait, it wasn’t because there was Alec sitting cramped in a cage.

The look he directed at Jace— no, wait, Hodge— was so severe that Jace felt cut to pieces by it. Beside him, through the thick veil of magic, he could make out Magnus’ breathed exclamation, “ _Alexander_.”

Hodge unlocked the cage door and opened it, positioning his body in the threshold to dissuade Alec from making a daring escape.

“I brought you lunch,” Hodge lifted the sandwich and the bottle of water in his hands a little higher. Alec’s eyes were drawn to the plate, his eyes lingering on the sandwich, before he turned away to stare at the wall.

“I’m not hungry,” said Alec.

“Please don’t be like that,” Plead Hodge. “You need to eat, Alec. To get your strength back.”

“Why?” Alec grunted, hugging his knees closer to his chest. “So you can use me again? I refuse to be used against Jace, to be made into his weakness. I’d sooner starve.”

“That’s not going to happen again, Alec. I won’t let Valentine hurt you.”

Alec’s laugh was biting. “What makes you think you have a say in _anything_ he does? No, Hodge. The truth of it is that you’re weak and you’d do anything to keep yourself alive. So take your stupid pity sandwich and come back to me when you’ve grown a spine.”

Hodge sighed and turned away, placing the dish on a rusted machine next to the cage. He stalled with his hand on the cage door, eyes on Alec’s obstinate form. Jace felt connected to Hodge in that moment, both of them unwilling to leave yet. A deep yearning to help Alec, barely  contained inside his tense limbs.

Hodge drew his stele and lunged at Alec, who didn’t have a chance to react before Hodge was seizing his arm and dragging him towards him.

“What are you doing?” Alec shouted, trying in vain to wrench his arm out of the older man’s grip.

“You don’t want to eat? Fine.” Hodge’s foot came down on Alec’s shoulder pinning him to the cage floor. He traced his stele over the nourishment rune on Alec’s forearm which flared to life in a fiery red glow. “But if you’re going to escape this place, then you’ll need the strength to run.”

He stepped off Alec’s shoulder and shoved his arm away from him,  exiting the cage and locking it behind him. Alec followed him as far as he could, threading his fingers through the links of the cage.

“One day you’re going to have to pick a side, Hodge. You can’t play the middle line forever.”

Hodge paused in the doorway, turning partly— enough that Jace hoped for a last glimpse of Alec— but didn’t reply. He left Alec alone in the room and as Alec faded farther away from him, so did the image in Jace’s mind as Magnus’ power dwindled. Jace blinked as the apartment came back into view, feeling like he had walked for miles to return to this point.

Jace released Magnus’ hand, flexing his hand against the death grip they’d held each other in, though Jace couldn’t have said who’d started it. He staggered back towards the couch, his legs a tingling mess.

Magnus saw his weakened state. “That’ll fade in a few minutes.”

Isabelle was tentative to ask for anything too soon but couldn’t seem to help herself, “Did you see him?”

Jace sat down on the couch and rubbed at his legs, trying to work some feeling back into them. “He’s alright from what I could see. He’s got enough strength to be just as stubborn as he is with us and Hodge activated his nourishment rune.”

“You call that alright?” Magnus blinked at him in disbelief. “He was in a cage!”

“Did you think that they were just going to sit him in a chair in a corner of the room and tell him to stay there?” asked Jace. “He’s alive and he’ll stay that way until we can get to him. That’s what matters.”

“Did you see anything that could help us get to him? Did you see my mother anywhere?” Clary stood anxiously off to the side.

“There was no sign of your mother, but Hodge has access to Alec which means he might have access to her as well. He said that he wouldn’t let Valentine hurt Alec. There’s still the chance that he’s sympathetic to all of you, if we can get to Hodge there’s a chance we can get him to lead us to Alec and Jocelyn.”

“And what happens if he just turns about and betrays us like he did the first time?” snapped Jace, still unwilling to forgive and forget.

“Trust me,” Magnus’ fingertips sparked with blue electricity. “He won’t have a say in it. If he won’t lead us to Alec willingly then I have 400 years of spells I can unload on his ass to persuade him.”

Jace smiled darkly. He’d never seen Magnus enraged enough to threaten someone’s life with magic before but he couldn’t deny that he liked this angrier side of the warlock.

Simon raised his hand. “I feel the need to be the voice of Alec right now, since he’s not here himself, and say that he wouldn’t want us to go in without a plan. He might have a stick up his ass about a lot of things, but he does have a point when it comes to planning for a mission.”

Jace flashed him a look. “I’m not going to say you’re wrong, just don’t get too comfortable speaking for Alec.”

Simon’s expressed blanched for a moment, and Jace thought that he must be remembering the argument they’d had in that alley. They’d both yelled some hateful things at each other that weren’t entirely true. A part of Jace wanted to reassure Simon that it was all in the past, but he couldn’t let the vampire think that he _liked him_ or anything. Jace had his image to maintain after all and once he said something nice to him, the vampire might get it into his head that they were friends and then Jace would never hear the end of his whining.

Jace focused his mind back on the mission… but as he did that he needed to ask himself was it one mission or three? Rescue Alex and Jocelyn, find the book of the white, and most importantly kill Valentine. There were too many things to get done before they got caught inside the warehouse and there were too many rogue shadowhunters to fight. Besides, there was no way that last item of Jace’s list was going to fly if he had the rest of the group with him.

“We’re going to need to split up if we want to accomplish all our goals.” stated Jace, gathering everyone’s attention at once.

Jace looked toward Clary. “You need to find your mother but you can’t go alone, so you and Isabelle will pair up and search for her when we get to the warehouse. If you find her you move her a good distance away and call the institute to pick you up. Agreed?”

Isabelle opened her mouth ready to spout off an objection but then looked at Clary and understood that Jace was right. She couldn’t leave Clary alone to find her mother. An untrained shadowhunter against who knows how many adversaries. “Yeah, alright.”

Jace looked towards Magnus next. “You said on the phone that you found where Camille is. Where was that?”

“The Hotel Dumort. Raphael and I go way back, I should have guessed that was where he would have locked her up.” Magnus rolled his eyes at his own stupidity.

“Then it’s your responsibility to go there and get the Book of the White from her.”

“I’m not going to be relegated to the sidelines while you go rescue my boyfriend.” snapped Magnus.

“I didn’t say that,” Jace said, holding his hands up placatingly. “But I can’t let you go inside that warehouse. There’s bound to be an army of newly made shadowhunters waiting for us and seraph blades are deadly to anyone with demon blood… that includes warlocks. Alec wouldn’t forgive me if I got you killed, Magnus.”

Magnus sighed morosely. “I really wanted to set some nephilim asses on fire.”

“I know you did.” said Jace. “But if we pull this off, once Valentine finds out he does have his bargaining chips anymore, he’s bound to send shadowhunters after all of you.  I’m counting on you to protect Alec once he’s with you. You can set as many nephilim that come hunting you on fire then.”

Magnus’ smiled brightened at the prospect.

“So, if they’re doing that, what am I doing?” asked Simon.

Jace smiled at the vampire. “You’re rescuing Alec.”

Simon laughed and then realized that Jace wasn’t actually joking. “No, no, no. You’re rescuing Alec. You’re his parabatai after all.” argued Simon.

Jace shook his head, no matter how much he’d like to be the one to save Alec like his parabatai had saved him in the past, he couldn’t this time. “I’m the distraction. Valentine wants me? Well, he’s going to get me.”

“You’re going to fight him?” gasped Clary.

 _And I’m going to kill him._ “It’s the only way to distract him long enough for you guys to accomplish your tasks. Luke and his pack will split up between me and Simon.”

Luke turned to his pack members and started speaking to them privately. Jace supposed that he was dividing them up between him and Simon.

Jace looked at Simon, trying to impose as much seriousness into his voice as possible. “Once you get Alec you bring him to The Hotel Dumort. You get him to Magnus. I don’t care what Alec tells you to do, you _do not_ let him go after me. I want him out of harm’s way, do you understand me? I don’t care if you have to drag him out of that warehouse. Just get him to safety.”

Simon nodded though he looked uncomfortably pained by the prospect. “I understand.”

Jace breathed deeply and tried for a reassuring smile. “And if we all make it out of this alive then we’ll meet back up at the institute and wake Jocelyn.”

Isabelle clutched at Jace’s hand suddenly, her nervousness rearing its head. She squeezed Jace’s hand and declared, “We can do this.”

There were a few determined nods around the group before Luke shouted out the order. “Alright everyone! We’ve got loved ones to save and an army to dismantle. Let’s head out!”

The group filed out of Magnus’ apartment and headed towards the warehouse. Towards Alec. Towards war.


	5. Five of Wands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five of Wands-meanings: Strife. Being alert, ready to struggle and fight for what's important.

Alec stared down at the nourishment rune on his forearm, the red glow after it had been redrawn having faded a long time ago, but Alec could still feel the pulse of strength that it gave to his body. His stomach no longer growled and spasmed in pain like it had before, and his lips which had been cracked from thirst were once again smooth to the touch. Alec traced his finger along the rune’s shape, trying to figure out Hodge’s place in all of this. Hodge had always been a friend to Alec growing up, but then he’d betrayed Alec, locking him up in this cage and leaving him to the whims of Valentine Morgenstern. But… he didn’t seem ready to leave Alec alone for good, treating his wounds and coming to talk to Alec periodically—  no matter if Alec wanted to answer his questions or not. 

Alec sighed and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Alec’s enemies had always been so clear-cut before. Demons were his enemy, shadowhunters his friends, and Downworlders were ambiguous at best. Now his whole world was turned around, the Clave couldn’t be trusted to serve anyone but themselves, his parents were traitors, Hodge was working for Valentine, and Magnus Bane— the high warlock of Brooklyn, which every adult shadowhunter said couldn’t be trusted… a dangerous downworlder that shouldn’t be trifled with— wanted to date him and Alec wanted to let him in. He didn’t know anything for certain after the events of the past few weeks, but one thing he knew for certain was that Magnus stirred something deep inside Alec that made his heart pound and his head rush, something that singed within Alec’s blood so strong it almost rivaled his parabatai connection. The thought terrified Alec, that he could feel something so acutely in such a short amount of time, and that it could all be taken away from him in a flash. 

“I’m going to see you again, Magnus,” Alec murmured, closing his eyes briefly. He tried to picture Magnus’ face behind his eyes, the amber glow of his eyes, the softness of his lips. Alec’s thoughts were drawn back towards that kiss on his wedding day— that one kiss where everything else faded away for only a moment. How Alec yearned to go back to that moment and live within it for a century with nothing but Magnus— his lips, his love.  

“ _ Ah _ , I’d heard that the wedding was cancelled, but I didn’t know why.” 

Alec’s eyes jerked open and he found himself staring into the eyes of Valentine Morgenstern as he crouched in front of his cage. Alec’s heart lodged in his throat at the realization that Valentine knew about him and Magnus. Alec knew the man’s feelings about downworlders, he knew that he held them in contempt more than the usual clave member. 

“Do you love him? The warlock?” Valentine inquired. 

Alec pushed his body against the cage wall behind him, trying to put as much distance between him and his captor as possible. At the moment he felt all too much like an animal on display in the zoo. 

Alec’s eyes drifted towards the floor. “I don’t know…”

Valentine scratched at his chin. “I wonder how that would work, if you were to spend your life with him. After all, warlocks are eternal and shadowhunters, well… It’s like those tales of gods and mortals in Greek mythology, isn't it? They all end the same, the mortal either dies or becomes a God.”

Alec didn’t want to think about which category he was destined to fall into. “Why are you here?”

“I have good news for you. Jace is coming.”

Alec’s heart panged at the words. He knew that Jace would never leave him here but Alec didn’t want to be the cause of his best friend’s demise. “He exchanged himself for me, didn’t he?”

“He did. We had a deal, he joins me and I let you go free.”

“You’ve been a very good captive, Alec.” Valentine continued. “I like you, I really do. Even despite certain… tastes of yours.”

“But you can’t let me go because of what I’ve seen and heard here and you can’t kill me because then your deal with Jace would be void,” Alec smiled at Valentine’s surprised smirk. “Yeah, I know a thing or two about negotiations as well.”

“You’re right, I can’t kill you, but it wouldn’t be my fault if there was an incident while our negotiations were taking place and my men arrived too late on the scene to do anything.”

Valentine looked over his shoulder as the door banged open. Alec’s heart seized in his chest at the sight before him. Two shadowhunters were dragging a male vampire through the doorway, held in check by those snare poles that animal control used to restrain wild dogs. They had two of them looped around his neck, keeping him from getting close enough to bite them. 

“We thought you’d like some company, so he’s going to be your new neighbor.” Valentine smiled but it wasn’t at all sincere. 

Alec scrambled backwards to the far end of his cell, which wasn't very far considering how much space his long limbs took up. “You’re insane! You put him in here and he’ll tear through that metal like it’s paper.”

“Oh, don't worry,” Valentine chuckled all dark humor. “We were using him to test the effects of vampire blood on nephilim to see if it enhanced shadowhunter abilities, but it didn’t work out. Haven’t fed him in a few days since we no longer have use for him. He’ll be weak still.”

_ He’ll be half deranged from hunger by now and willing to feed on anything that moves.  _ The vampire was thrown into the cell adjacent to Alec’s, the only thing separating them a wall of chain link fencing.

Valentine swiped his hand back and forth between them. “Alec, I’d like you to meet your new cell-buddy. We named him Fang.”

Alec’s heart jumped into his throat and lodged there as the vampire threw his weight against the divider, sharp-nailed fingers scrambling through the spaces in the links. When he couldn’t reached through the gaps in the links, the vampire took to them with his teeth. Alec placed his palms on the cement floor and kicked at the fencing, dislodging the vampire’s gnashing teeth for only a moment.

The vampire attacked again with unwavering determination and in his determination to keep himself from becoming dinner, Alec could only snarl out, “And here I thought you didn’t have a sense of humor!”

Valentine tutted at him. “You should be thanking me, Alec. He’ll most definitely drain you of all your blood, but if your friends get to you in time then there’s a chance for you to be risen again and live forever with your  _ beloved  _ downworlder.”

“Come,” Valentine motioned at the two men standing off to the side. “Let’s let them get acquainted.”

The three shadowhunters left Alec alone in the warehouse room, with nothing but the sights and sounds of a bloodthirsty vampire and thoughts of his impending death to occupy him.  _ Stop _ , Alec urged himself. He couldn’t start thinking like that or he was really done for. And despite what Valentine might think of him, he wasn’t going to just sit here and wait to be rescued… or mauled, whichever came first. 

Alec planted his feet against the fencing, intent of bracing it for as long as the metal links would hold against supernatural strength. The vampire’s fingers clawed and scrambled around the leather of Alec’s boots but did not have enough room to do any damage. After a few moments of attempting to eat Alec’s shoes, the vampire turned its focus back to breaking through the metal links. Alec bent his legs at a right angle and laid with his back against the cold cement floor. He stretched out his arms, one hand bracing against the bottom rail, the other twisting his fingers through the chain-links to struggle with the carriage bolt that fasted into the rail. If Alec could get the bolt loose it might be long enough to use as a stake, although the blunted end meant that Alec would have to exort extra force behind his blow to push through muscle and bone. With the way that his heart was hammering in his chest at the moment, however, he didn’t think it would be hard to call up the adrenaline needed. 

By the time Alec had loosened the bolt until it was halfway out of it’s slot, his fingers were a bloody mess and the scent of his blood in the air only drove the vampire into a further blood haze. His fingers were rubbed raw and sore but Alec continued twisting until the bolt wobbled, so close to coming loose. His attention was drawn away at the sound of snapping. Alec looked up to see the vampire snapping through the links of the fencing like his teeth were bolt cutters. It only took a few more metal snaps before a hand thrust through the opening, grasping open air inches from Alec’s face. 

Alec flinched back, pitching his head sideways to avoid the jagged fingernails that threatened to cut into the skin of his cheek, yanking furiously at the bolt. It came free and Alec pulled it through the fencing, clutching it in a white-knuckled grip like he would a wooden stake. Two hands latched onto Alec’s legs and dragged him away from the wall. In the moment that Alec had spared to retrieve his weapon, the vampire had shoved more of its upper body through the opening, ripping the gap in the fencing wider to accommodate its head and shoulders. 

Alec flailed and kicked his legs, hoping to dislodge the iron grip that the downworlder had on him. All the while the downworlder crawled through the opening like a demon emerging from the pits of hell, until he was on top of Alec, hands wrestling with Alec’s arms, trying to pin them to the ground. Alec thrust the heel of his hand up into the vampire’s chin, knocking its head back and sending the creature sprawling backwards.   

 Alec took the second of breath his attack had granted him and to scream to anyone within earshot. Valentine had said that Jace was coming for him. Was there a chance that his parabatai could hear him? “Help! Help me!”

“He—” 

The word was pummeled out of Alec’s lungs as 180 pounds of vampire crushed him into the cement floor. On instinct, Alec thrusted his forearm out to brace against the weight and cried out against the pain that shot through his arm as the vampire’s fangs sank into the meat of his arm. Blood dripped onto Alec’s eyelashes from around the fangs lodged in his arm as the vampire drank from him. Alec shook the red droplets out of his eyes and found his target in the vampire’s exposed chest. 

Alec put all of his strength into the underhand thrust, enough strength to break through skin, bone, and muscle and lodge the bolt into the downworlder’s chest. The vampire shrieked and Alec followed suit as the fangs were ripped out of his arm. The vampire reared back, scrambling at the object lodged in its chest. 

It jerked it free of its chest and let it clatter to the floor, rolling out under the cage and into the darkness of the warehouse. He’d missed. The vampire barred its teeth at him, like a snake before the kill. 

Alec’s fear was so strong he choked on it. In that moment he knew that he was going to die. The vampire lunged at him. Strong hands on his shoulders slamming him down, his head cracking against the cement. Teeth plunged into his neck but he couldn’t shift the heavy weight of the body on top of him. His legs tangled with the other’s as he tried to get his feet under him to roll the other off of him. 

He wasn’t prepared to blink through the tears in his eyes and see a figure standing above him. Nor was he prepared for the seraph blade that plunged through the creature’s back and exploded it into fiery ash. Alec gasped in ragged breaths and stared at Hodge standing over him, the seraph blade in his hand casting him in an angelic glow. Though the enraged expression on his face was anything from angelic. More like the old testament wrath of God. 

“Wha— What are you—” Alec’s chest hurt too much to get a proper question out. He was torn between clamping a hand against the blood trailing down his neck or curling into the fetal position. Hodge didn’t let him do either as he placed the seraph blade on the ground and knelt next to him, quickly tracing his healing rune. 

“I told you I wouldn’t let him hurt you again.” Hodge grunted when he finished. 

Movement in the corner of Alec’s eye stifled any response from him. Alec grasped Hodge’s wrist where it was position on top of the blade. 

“You’re lucky your friends found me before it was too late.”

“Is it safe to move now?” a familiar voice asked.  

“Yes, come into the light.” answered Hodge. 

Two figures moved out of the shadows and into the light. Alec stared for a moment at the tall, athletic looking man before he realized he was part of Luke’s pack of werewolves. The name came to him a moment later… Alaric.  Alec’s eyes traveled to the other familiar face in the room. 

Alec’s brow furrowed in shock at seeing the newly made vampire invading Valentine’s compound. “What the hell are you doing here…  _ err _ … ”

The vampire placed his hands on his hips and shook his head with a sarcastic laugh. “You don’t remember my name do you?”

“Of course I do!” Alec retorted. “It’s… S-Stuart? Steve? Something nerdy that started with a ‘S’.”

“It’s Simon!” snapped Simon. “I cannot believe I’m rescuing your ass and you can’t even remember my name!” 

“I’m sorry,” Alec growled. “In case you haven’t noticed I’ve had a bit of a hard day.” He gestured broadly at the ash and blood on his person. The iratze rune had finished healing his wounds so Alec pushed himself slowly to his feet with a helping hand from Hodge.

Alec looked at the man he’d once called a mentor. “Does this mean that you’ve finally picked a side?”

“I’m on your side, even if I can return to the life I once had. When I made the deal I never knew that Valentine planned on involving you or Jace in this. I wouldn’t have done it if I had, but by then I was in too far to turn back.”

“I forgive you,” Alec squeezed his arm with a smile. 

Hodge pushed the cage door open, “Come on, we need to get you out of here. Simon explained the plan on the way here.”

“What do you mean, what plan? Where’s Jace? I need to find him.” Alec stared between Hodge and Simon.

Hodge looked hesitant to give him a real answer. “Alec, you need to get out of here. I’m sure my absence hasn’t gone unnoticed. There will be shadowhunters all over here in a minute.”

Alec stood his ground, leveling his best glare at Hodge. “Where’s Jace?”

Hodge pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head, refusing to say anything. Alec switched his glare over to Simon who crumpled like a pile of sand in the wind. Simon sent one nervous glance in Hodge’s direction before replying. “He’s with Valentine, acting as bait.”

“What?” Alec’s eyes widened sharply. “But, I’m the bait for him.”

“Not anymore.”

Alec whirled around towards Hodge. “I’m going after him. Hodge, give me your blade.”

Alec thrusted his hand out for the blade. Hodge shook his head and stepped back away from Alec. “I can’t let you do that, Alec. Valentine told Jace that if he saw you come back to try and rescue him after they made their deal, he’d kill you on the spot.”

“No,” Alec’s eyes burned at the thought that he’d used up so much of his energy to protect his parabatai from harm and Jace had gone and sacrificed himself for him instead. So much pain and sacrifice on both of their parts and who won in the end? It certainly didn’t feel like Alec did if he didn’t have his parabatai at his side. “Hodge, give me your blade! Please!”

There was a earth-shaking roar and they turned in time to see Alaric charge the door right as it burst open and a group of shadowhunters entered the room, blades drawn and glowing. Hodge shoved his blade into Alec’s hand and drew his chakram blades from their sheaths at his back. He swiped at the shadowhunter that came at him to meet him weapon for weapon and flung the shadowhunter that followed him in Alec’s direction. It gave Alec no satisfaction to cut the man down. Hodge’s chakram blade sliced through a man’s abdomen sending him crashing to the ground. Hodge’s eye’s caught sight of Simon. He pointed a chakram blade at Alec. 

“Simon, get him out of here! Get Alec out now before it’s too late!”

Simon was at Alec’s side at once with his enhanced speed. He latched onto Alec’s arm and pulled him towards the door. 

“No!” Alec yanked his arm free of his hold. “I need to find Jace. I swore an oath that I would fight by his side. I can’t abandon him! ”

Alec fought his way into the mass of bodies, but didn’t make it very far. In a blur of motion, Simon was in front of him. 

“I’m sorry,” He shouted over the clash of blades and cries of pain, though his voice lacked any trace of anger. “I made a promise too.”

Simon caught Alec around the waist and lifted him off the ground. “No! Simon, no!” 

Alec struggled to get out of his hold as the vampire threw him over his shoulder, but before he could do anything more Simon was running away from the warehouse at supernatural speed. Alec’s world transformed into a blur of color and sound, drowning out his cry. 

When the world refocused they were in the Hotel Dumort with a horde of Raphael’s clan standing around them. The moment Simon released him, Alec was on him, his seraph blade clattering to the tiled floor, completely forgotten in his rage. 

Alec yanked Simon towards him by the collar of his jacket. His face was so close to the other man’s that he was practically spitting in his face when he cried, “ _ How dare you! _ Do you have  _ any _ idea what you’ve just done?”

Simon was calm even though Alec knew he was afraid of what Alec might do. “I did what Jace, _ your parabatai _ , told me to. I followed the plan. If I had let you go running off to fight with him then everything would have be thrown off and we’d probably all be ruined right now.”

“I can’t believe that Jace would make you carry me off to the sidelines. He’s never done that before. Why would he decide to do it now?”

“Maybe it’s because no one has ever kidnapped and threatened to kill you before.” explained Simon, “Something like that tends to scare a person… even Jace.”

“So what was this grand plan that I threatened to mess up, huh?” asked Alec. “Explain it to me.”

Simon shrugged like it was straightforward. “Jace faces off against Valentine to distract him while I get you out of there and Isabelle and Clary find Clary’s mom and get her to safety.”

“Oh,  _ fantastic! _ ” Alec cried. “Not only did you make me abandon my parabatai in battle but now you’re telling me that I also left my sister and an untrained shadowhunter back there as well.”

“Luke and his pack are with them. They aren’t alone.” Simon stated as Alec stooped to pick up his blade from the ground. 

Alec smiled tightly at Simon. “I’m going back there.”

“Wait!” shouted Simon. “You can’t do that!”

Alec turned sharply and leveled the point of his seraph blade at Simon. He cocked his head to the side in challenge. “Really? Are you going to be the one to stop me, Simon?”

“No,” A voice from the crowd of vampires spoke up. “That would be us. Unless, Shadowhunter, you’re arrogant enough to think that you can go up against all of us.” 

Alec turned to face the vampire that spoke, a pretentious, prep-school— looking guy with curly blonde hair. The man raised both arms up to indicate the clan of vampires that circled tighter around Simon and Alec. 

“I’m going to give you five seconds to move out of my way before I start hurting people.” Alec stared down at the vampire who stood a foot shorter than him. He felt vicious and angry, deprived of the vengeance he didn’t know he wanted until this very moment. Alec was sick of being played with, sick of seeing the ones he loved hurt all for the profit of one man. He wasn’t going to let some stupid vampire stand in his way.  The way he figured it, he’d already faced one antagonistic vampire today, he didn’t mind facing some more and at this point Alec was rearing for a fight. 

The vampire barred his fangs in a hiss which transformed into a devious smirk. “I’ve never shown a shadowhunter his place in the food chain of the shadow world before.”

“And you’re never going to.” Alec hissed, raising his blade.

“Move out of the way! That angel-blooded idiot belongs to me!” Magnus came tearing around the corner into the room, throwing up his hands and parting the crowd of vampires like the red sea. Magnus glared around at them as they hissed under their breath at him. “I didn’t wait all this time only to see him torn apart by your lot, Raphael.”

Raphael emerged around the corner at a more leisurely pace than Magnus. “I told you I couldn’t promise anything, Magnus.” 

Raphael’s eyes found Simon and a crook of his head was all the signalling Simon need to leave his spot behind Alec and stand at Raphael’s side. Alec barely noticed it, however, because all he had eyes for was Magnus Bane, the warlock that Alec just remembered making drinking plans with. 

“Magnus…” Alec started, unsure of what to say or where he stood with the warlock. 

Magnus strode forward and Alec feared he might be coming over to slap him. The idea strengthened in his head when a flick of Magnus’ fingers send his seraph blade flying across the room. The words were out of his mouth before he had time to think. “I’m sorr—”

Magnus grasped him by either side of his face and kissed him. Alec rocked back in his hold, the shock slowly giving way and melting the tension from his limbs. Magnus’ lips were just as smooth as Alec remembered them, but firmer and more insistent this time as his emotions took control of the kiss, pushing all the fear and yearning that he’d felt over Alec’s disappearance into it. Alec submitted wholeheartedly, understanding that it was Magnus who needed to be in control in that moment, needed to touch Alec with his lips and hands to know that he was really back with him. When Magnus allowed him to pull back from the kiss, Alec didn’t retreat far. He pressed his forehead to Magnus’ and breathed in small gasps against the other’s cheek. 

In a breathless rush Magnus panted, “Don’t you ever do that to me again. Do you understand me?”

Alec smiled tiredly, and wrapped his arms around him, wanting nothing more than to burrow his face into the crook of Magnus’ neck and never leave.  “Yeah.”


	6. Four of Swords

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to insert Alec into the attitude that Clary seemed to be in towards Camille in this episode. Since Alec is usually the gruff, pragmatic, and threatening type I figured it fit well, especially since Clary isn't present during this scene anymore because of my alterations. Tell me what you think of the changes.
> 
> Four of Swords-meanings: Calling a truce, a pact. Reconsidering your position.

“Magnus,” Alec’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of Raphael’s voice. He untangled his arms from around Magnus and stepped back. His eyes flickered around the room, suddenly aware of the people watching them.

Magnus’ hand slid down to rest at the small of Alec’s back as he turned to address his, centuries old, friend.

Raphael made a face. “I don’t mean to rush you along but…”

Magnus waved a hand at him. “I understand. We’ve overstayed our welcome. I think it’s time you showed us where Camille is.”

Alec turned to Magnus, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s part of the plan,” supplied Simon. “You, me, and Magnus are responsible for finding the Book of the White.”

Alec’s anger flared. He stepped back enough to get his two  _ partners _ in his sights. Alec barked an angry laugh at their nervous expressions. “The plan?  _ I _ didn’t agree to any plan! No, this is  _ your _ plan— one that you forced me to go along with. You go find the Book of the White, I’m going to help Jace.”

Alec turned in a circle. “For the love of the Angel, tell me that someone thought to bring my bow.”

Magnus snapped his fingers and Alec’s bow dropped out of thin air into Alec’s hands. The new weight on his back and in his pants pocket told him Magnus had summoned his quiver and stele as well.

Alec looked down at his weapon of choice, a pained noise rising from his throat at its broken form. He’d completely forgotten about Hodge breaking it before dragging him through the portal. It seemed like a month ago when in fact it had only been a day or two. 

“I thought we agreed we weren’t going to tell him about that!” whispered Simon.

Alec’s fingers grasped the ends of the snapped string, trying to draw them back together. He couldn’t use it in battle without a new bow string and Magnus knew it. “I didn’t aid your rescue only to see you run back there and get yourself killed.”

Alec’s eyes jerked up to meet Magnus’ harsh gaze as Magnus delivered his ultimatum. “Tell me you won’t go running to Jace and I’ll repair your bow.” 

Alec gripped his bow tighter. “That’s not fair, Magnus.”

“I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Alec. Life isn’t fair. All you can do is roll with the punches.”

“That’s your centuries-learned advice for me?” Alec questioned. “Roll with the punches. I could probably get the same advice out of the vampire—”

“ _ Simon! _ ” Simon interjected.

Alec glared him into silence, before continuing “ — and he’s only been alive for 18 years!”

“Actually, I’m going to be 19 in a few months.”

“Shut up, Simon!” Magnus and Alec turned on him together. Simon swallowed hard and stepped back behind Raphael.

“Alec,” Magnus opted for a different approach, attempting to keep his cool. He reached out for Alec’s hand, trying to pull him closer, to anchor him at his side. “Please, come with us. All Jace wanted to do was keep you safe. Going against his wishes now will only lead to more trouble.”

Alec shook his head. “You don’t understand. He’s never fought without me at his back…”

“I don’t understand?” Magnus scoffed and threw his hands in the air. “ _ My God _ , you shadowhunters are full of yourselves! Do you think you’re the only ones who have meaningful relationships? Have you forgotten that you’re talking to a warlock who’s had friends and lovers, both mortal and downworlder, and who’s watched many of them die? Do you think— remembering how easy it would be for you to be killed in battle— that it was easy for me to sit here and let a fledgling vampire and a werewolf I don’t know rescue you— especially when I have fucking sorcery at my disposal?  

Alec’s eyes dropped to the floor. “Magnus, I—”

“No,” Magnus continued over him. “It was not! But if I can do it then so can you. So for once in your life, do what you’re so good at and  _ follow orders _ .” 

Magnus was breathing harshly by the time he was finished. Alec couldn’t look at him, hating how easily Magnus had stripped him down to his true self and called him out on all of his flaws. He’d never felt so childish in all his life, but standing in front of a man who had witnessed the passage of time, he felt infantile and insignificant. Whatever they were— too soon to be called a couple, and yet something more than friends— was nothing but a pencilled in scribble on the eternal timeline that was the life of Magnus Bane. 

As the silence ticked on and Alec still didn’t answer, Magnus’ facade started to falter, his anger giving way to concern. “Alright, I admit, that might have been overly unkind. Just know that I’m not saying this to hurt you, Alec, I’m just concerned—”

“It’s fine,” Alec constructed his face into an unreadable mask. “I needed to hear it. I’ll go find the Book of the White with you and Simon.”

Fulfilling his previously stated agreement, Magnus fixed Alec’s bow with a flick of his wrist, though he didn’t look happy about it. As Alec turned to address Raphael, he could feel Magnus’ eyes scrutinizing him. Alec was very good at pretending, though, and he knew that Magnus wouldn’t find anything.” 

“Lead on,” Alec gestured down the hallway.  

Raphael lead them into an elevator which dropped them off at the basement level of the hotel. Alec looked around the cell-like chamber full of smooth paneled caskets and odd pieces of art. Their footsteps echoed off the stones as they approached, the dust that covered them kicking up to swirl in the air around their ankles. One of the caskets was locked up tight in chains, an IV of blood dangling on a stand next to it. It didn’t take a genius to figure out which one Camille was locked away in.

Alec reached into an open casket beside it and pulled out a heavy set of bolt cutters. “Anyone want to do the honors?”

Raphael slanted his eyes at him, a scornful smile gracing his lips. “I think I’ll let you be responsible for the future world of crap this is going to lead us into. Afterall, it is ‘Shadowhunter Business.’”

Alec rolled his eyes at him and snapped the chains open, letting them slither and clacker to the floor. He flipped the lid open at the top and bottom of the casket to reveal Camille’s prone form.

The group observed her in silence for a moment before Simon glanced around at Raphael, “Should I poke her or something?”

The moment his back was exposed to her, Camille lunged for him. 

Magnus startled back away from the open casket. “Simon!”

_ He was already dead _ , Alec thought,  _ there isn’t much harm that Camille could do to him with her bare hands.  _ But Alec was reminded that Simon had also just risked his life for him and he really hated owing people for anything. Alec caught Camille by the neck as she lunged, fangs extended, and slammed her roughly back down against the satin-lined interior of the casket, pinning her in place.

“This makes us even, Simon. Just so you know.”

“Uh— yeah,” Simon hovered nervously behind Alec’s shoulder. “T-thanks.”

“Please, don’t mention it.” replied Alec.

Camille clutched at Alec’s arm where it held her down. She hissed at him. “Get your hands off of me you stupid Nephilim!”

Alec glared over his shoulder at Raphael. “I’m getting really sick of vampires today.”

“Alec, darling,” Magnus stepped up beside Alec. “Let her up. Remember, we need her.”

“Magnus!” Camille smiled at him, her expression one of someone remembering a relationship that spanned centuries. She flicked a manicured nail between Alec and Magnus. 

“Oh,” she gasped comically. “Is he one of your new boy-toys? Well, I must say you certainly have a type.”

Alec ground his teeth. “You sure you don’t want to change your mind, Simon? Maybe break off a chair leg and stake her with it? Trust me, I’d be perfectly happy to hold her down.”

Camille hissed at him again. 

Alec’s grip tightened around her neck. “Yeah, you’re real frightening. Like a feral kitten.”

“What’s the matter, Angel Blood?” questioned Camille. “Scared I might steal your boyfriend.”

She shifted her gaze to Magnus. “He’s cute. Too bad it won’t last. I’d say your little boyfriend is twenty years shy of male pattern baldness.”

Alec rolled his eyes and released her. “I don’t have time for this. Tell us where the Book of the White is.”

“The Book of the what?” Camille blinked at them and sat upright.

“The Book of the White,” remarked Simon. “Big, white, spellbook. It kind of explains itself.”

Camille canted her head at Simon. “Darling, what would I possibly want with a spellbook. Isn’t that his speciality?”

She pointed a finger at Magnus. 

“Yes, but I tracked it to you.” replied Magnus. He crossed his arms over his chest and positioned one hand under his chin. “Trust me, if I had it my way I wouldn’t want to lay eyes on your for another century. Oddly, I haven’t missed you.”

“Of course you have, my love.” cooed Camille.

“We don’t have time for this,” Alec shoved at her shoulder. “Put her back in if she won’t tell us.”

“Wait, wait!” Camille grunted, shoved Alec’s arm away. “It’s in my apartment on the upper east side.”

She cast a glance at Raphael. “I can take you there, but you have to get me out of here first.”

“Done,” snapped Magnus. He turned towards Raphael and the two spoke low with their heads so close they would have been touching if it wasn’t for the height different. The only words that Alec caught at the end were “you owe me” whispered insistently by Magnus. 

“Fine,” stated Raphael when they separated. “As long as Camille doesn’t try to gain control of this clan again, she’s free to go.”

Camille flipped her hair over one shoulder. “Like I’d want to come back to you bunch of traitors.”

“Take her out the tunnels.” Raphael pointed towards the stairs.

Simon lead the way down the flights of stairs until they reached the tunnels that ran under the hotel. The fluorescents cast the tunnel in a blue-white glow, not unlike the glow of a rune stone. Camille’s heels clicked against the cement floor behind Alec as they advanced further, making Alec think for a moment that it was Isabelle walking behind him instead of a vampire who had once dated his boyfriend. 

“Ugh,” Camille grunted, looking around the area as they continued on. “I think I would have be better off in the coffin. 

“Well, you’re here now, so deal with it.” Alec adjusted his bow on his shoulder.

The sound of Camille’s heels slowed and then went silent. Alec turned to face her, a threat at the ready if needed to motivate her into movement again.

“There is one more thing I require of…um… ” Camille twirled a finger at Simon and squinted at him, thinking hard for a moment. 

Simon flicked her a dark look, replying pointedly, “Simon.”

Camille smiled mockingly at him. “Right. Before I show you the book I’ll need you to sign a writ of transmutation.”

“What the hell is that?” asked Simon, his brows crinkling together in concern. 

“She wants you to sign a legal document stating that you asked her to turn you into a vampire.” informed Magnus.

“Signed in your blood, of course.” Camille’s smile didn’t diminish a bit at the outraged expression Simon leveled at her. 

“Haven’t you had enough of my blood?” He snapped.

“Never.”

Simon grasped at the sides of his head and turned away from her to think over the proposition. Alec was standing far enough ahead of the group to catch his pinched expression. He stepped over towards Simon and patted him on the shoulder, if a bit awkwardly. 

“You don’t have to sign that if you don’t want to. She turned you against your will, you have every right not to pardon her..” Alec glared over at Camille and tugged his bow loose from his shoulder. “Besides, there are other ways to make her talk.”

Camille laughed at him. “People say anything while they’re being tortured.”

“I’m sure Magnus has a spell for truth telling lying around somewhere.” Alec spat back. 

“No, stop. Stop.” Simon inserted himself in between Alec and Camille as they closed ranks on each other. Simon stood next to Magnus whose eyes were pinballing around at each of them like he was watching a three person tennis match. “It doesn’t need to come to that. I’ll sign the document.”

“Simon,” urged Alec. “if you sign that then she won’t be punished for what she did to you. The Clave won’t be able to accus— ”

“I don’t even care about that anymore,” replied Simon. “No matter what she thinks, Camille isn’t half as bad as Valentine. We need the book to wake Jocelyn. She’s defeated him once. He he has a weakness then she’ll know it.”

“Or she is it,” said Magnus.

Simon shrugged his shoulder. “Either way we have to find out.”

Magnus looked towards Alec, his eyes full of apprehension. He knew he was asking of lot of Alec today, testing his loyalty to his parabatai and the laws of the Clave.  “I asked you once already to help us find the Book of the White. Are you still with us?”

Alec rubbed at his eyes and nodded slowly. “Jace has done off the deep end taking on Valentine be himself. Finding the book and waking Jocelyn may be the only way to stop Valentine and save Jace.”

Magnus offered him a soft smile and reached out to give his hand a light squeeze. “Thank you. You’re doing the right thing.”

Alec pulled his hand from his grasp. “I’ll let you know when it feels like it.”

A fracture appeared in Magnus’ smile, but he was quick to smooth over any sign of discomfort. “I can summon the necessary tools from my apartment and draft the document when we get to Camille’s place.”

Magnus, Simon, and Alec stepped to the side, clearing a path onwards for Camille. 

Magnus waved his hand in front of him. “After you.”


	7. Ten of Wands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten of Wands-meanings: Intense pressure, burdens. Overcommitment.

Jace swallowed against the sudden dryness in his mouth. In the distance he could hear the clatter of weapons and the snap and growl of Luke’s pack at they tore at each other. Jace stood at the intersection of two hallways. He looked off down the hallway where the noises were coming from, knowing that he would find Alec there. He wanted so badly to run down that hallway and join the fray of battle. To reunite with his parabatai and fight with him side by side, but Jace knew that that reunion would have to wait a little longer. Anyways, by now, if Simon had completed his end of the promise, then Alec was safely away at the hotel. There wouldn’t be any Alec to fight beside if he went down that way. 

Jace put his back towards that direction and moved further into Valentine’s compound, looking for the man himself. 

He didn’t expect to find him to soon…

Valentine was standing in a large room, talking to a handful of shadowhunters. Behind them a portal stood open, shimmering purple and blue, waiting for someone to jump through it. Valentine started turning at the sound of footsteps behind him. “Starkweather, please tell me that all that noise I’m hearing means that pesky shadowhunter is dead and is— “

He cut off abruptly at the sight of Jace behind him. 

Jace drew his seraph blade from his side and arched an eyebrow. “I don’t think anyone’s ever called Alec ‘pesky’ before. He’s most definitely gotten ‘cynical’ and ‘cranky, sometimes ‘crotchety’. A demon once had the nerve to call him ‘uppity’, but he didn’t live very long afterwards.”

Jace’s arched eyebrow lowered and scrunched together with his other in a critical look. He tried not to betray how worried he actually was when he asked, “What did you do to my parabatai, Valentine? I thought we agreed he was going to walk out of here unharmed?”

Valentine smiled and pointed a finger at his chest. “I didn’t do anything. Apparently a blood-crazed vampire is loose in the warehouse. I just sent some men to take care of it. I’m sure Alec is perfectly safe where he is.”

Jace’s mind flashed back to the forced connection that Valentine had ordered through his and Alec’s parabatai bond. He remembered seeing the room that Alec was in and more specifically Alec’s holding area. “Yeah, “ he spat. “I’m sure when you stuck him in that cage you were only thinking of his safety.”

Valentine smirked but didn’t give a response. He gestured to the portal behind him. “So, you’re coming with us? Our deal still stands?”

“No,” said Jace. He enjoyed the way Valentine’s smile slid off his face at his remark. “Because of recent events I think we need to change the terms of our agreement.”

“And what would that mean?”

“Fight me,” declared Jace, “and if you win, I’ll come with you to start a war against the Clave. If I win however, I walk out of here with Alec.”

“Why would I fight you? We both know I’d win.” said Valentine. 

“You’ve always said that my friends made me weak. Well, they’re not here now, so let’s see if your theory proves correct, that I can beat you by my own strength. Don’t you want to find out if I’m good enough to challenge your title?”

Jace smiled to himself, knowing that the dare was too much for Valentine to pass up without looking weak to his followers. He would have to take Jace up on his offer. He also smiled at the secret knowledge that he wasn’t without friends, no matter if they weren’t here to duel Valentine at his side. They were still fighting with him from the shadows, undermining Valentine’s operation from right under his nose. Jace just prayed that he would last long enough in this fight to see Alec, Clary, Isabelle, and Jocelyn safely out of the compound. He would have to make a big enough spectacle to keep Valentine’s followers in the room with them. Jace knew that Isabelle could take care of the routine sentries that roamed the halls, but if backup were to come, then there was a very good chance that she’d be outnumbered. 

“Alright,” declared Valentine. He shucked off his suit jacket and loosened a few buttons on his dress shirt. 

“Form up in a circle around us,” He directed the comment to the other rogue shadowhunters in the room and then singled one out, “Fetch my blade.”

Jace stood in the circle of men and watched as Valentine rolled up his sleeves as the man came back with his seraph blade in hand. Valentine took it from him. The blue glow of their blades reflected off the concrete flooring. 

Jace focused on the glowing circle at his own feet and concentrated on evening his breathing. He didn’t remember ever being this nervous. All of the demon raids that he’d gone on with Alec and Isabelle combined never felt this nerve racking. But Jace, knew why this mission felt different that all the others. Everything was hanging on the line depending on the outcome of this duel. And if he lost… if he joined Valentine in the war against the Clave and his fellow shadowhunters, he would hold himself responsible for each and every death that occurred on the good side during the war. Every clave member, family friend, downworlder, even the mundanes that Valentine recruited for his army of shadowhunters… he would be the reason they died. From his failure. 

“Are you ready?” Valentine asked from the other side of the circle. 

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jace muttered to himself, but nodded at Valentine. 

Jace twisted his wrist, arching his blade in a tight circle to loosen it. His feets moved towards the right, walking in a wide circle with Valentine following suit, keeping pace with him as they paced around the imaginary circle. Valentine’s shadowhunters stood as still as statues, marking the fighting circle’s boundary line. 

They stopped circling each other, facing each other down on opposite sides of the circle. Jace bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, his knees bend in a crouch, ready to move at any sign of attack. 

Jace had sparred with Valentine before while he was under the guise of his father, Michael Wayland, so he knew enough to know that the older man wasn’t going to attack first. He was prepared to wait it out and see what his opponent’s strike of choice would be. Jace decided to do something unusual for him.

He struck straight and low, like a fencer, without any of his usual flourish or aggression. He was purely strategic as he slashed and hacked at Valentine. 

_ Get into his head _ , Jace thought to himself,  _ think like him. Fight like him. Win like him. _

Jace matched his pace. He countered Valentine’s every step with a step backwards until they were dancing around the circle in a clash of swords. It didn’t take long for Valentine to catch on.

“I thought that you wanted to prove that you were better than me. Not that you are me,” Valentine taunted. 

Jace deflected Valentine’s overhead blow with a spin of his body and blade. As he finished the turn, ready for another attack, he caught a glimpse of a smile from the circle of rouge shadowhunters around them.

“C’mon,” Urged Valentine. “Do something unexpected.”

How much time had Jace bought his friends by now? Five minutes? Ten? Fighting against Valentine felt like forever and nothing all at the same time as Jace got lost in the deadly dance of swords. It was hard to gauge the passage of time when Jace’s focus was narrowed down to his blade and his opponent, his eyes only directed at the vulnerable point of Valentine’s body, his other sense only concerned with his own exposed body parts. 

Jace felt the rush of air under his sword arm and realised his mistake too late as Valentine’s sword sliced through the leather of his jacket. Jace didn’t have time to mourn the loss of his favorite jacket as he went on the defensive.

“Don’t you want to win against me? I tried to kill that worthy, gay, parabatai of yours. Does’nt that make you mad?”

Jace couldn’t help himself. “Don’t talk about Alec! You know nothing about him.”

It brought Jace’s thoughts back to his fight with Simon. He’d said the same thing to the vampire. Jace would say it to anyone who insulted his parabatai… until Alec stood at his side again and fought them off himself.

His anger brought Valentine glee, however, as he found a chink in Jace’s armour. His achilles heel. Jace realized it a second later and tried to correct it. 

“I’ve always known that you and all your closed-minded circle members hated gay shadowhunters. It didn’t surprise me that you tried to get rid of him.”

Valentine smiled. “Oh no… it has nothing to do with him being gay. I mean, if he’s gay he won’t be having children anyway, right? No I just thought that if he wanted to be with that warlock of his so badly, then he might as well join their rank. That’s why I let that rabid vampire lose of him.”

Valentine saw Jace’s expression darken to the color of thunder clouds. His sword arm, drooping unconsciously in his shock. Valentine stilled, himself. “Which reminds me… someone needs to go check it that vampire ripped his throat out or turned him.”

Jace screamed and went against every training instinct inside him. He charged Valentine with his seraph blade raised high.

Valentine deflected his savage blows like they were nothing and shoved Jace away from him. Jace stumbled back a few steps, out of breath but not out of fight. 

He couldn’t believe that Valentine had tried to turn his parabatai into a vampire against Alec’s will. He thought of Luke, once the parabatai of the man standing before him, even now as the head of a werewolf pack, Jace saw the way his eyes lingered on Jace and Clary’s marks. There was a longing there that had never gone away, even after many years of accepting his new downworlder lifestyle. 

Jace thought of Alec losing his marks. He thought of Alec not being able to enter the institute…not being able to use the marked bow that functioned like a part of his body. Jace thought of Alec not standing beside him as his best man at his wedding to Clary… not walking Isabelle down the aisle to give her away at her own wedding. Most of all Jace thought of Alec not being his parabatai. He couldn’t bear the thought. Valentine had thrown out of the rule book when he let that vampire loose on Alec. Jace could do the same. He threw down his seraph blade and barreled into Valentine’s middle, knocking him into the cement floor. 

Valentine didn’t have much breath left in him after such an impact but what he did have, he used to wheeze a laugh. Jace growled and punched him in the face to shut him up.

Valentine’s fight returned to him after that, as if Jace had knocked that drive to overpower Jace back into him. Valentine spat blood into Jace’s eyes, blinding him long enough to backhand him across the face. Jace slipped sideways off him, but didn’t release his grip on the older man’s shirt. 

As Valentine rolled them so that he was the one on top, raining down the punches, Jace used his grip on Valentine to throw Valentine off balance. Jace crawled across the floor, giving himself enough distance to draw a dagger from the holster on his leg. Jace pushed himself into a crouch and clenched the dagger in his hand tighter. Valentine was on his knees, staring at him like a hunter eyes a predator before it goes in for the kill.

What ensued after that could only be described as a bloody, barroom brawl. No rules, no holds barred, just two men attacking each other with everything they have left in them. The circle tightened around them, drawn into get a better look at the brutality that they used on the other. Jace was aware of pain… his face, his ribs, his busted knuckles. He gave as good as he got. He hadn’t known if he’d been winning or losing, but Jace knew he’d definity lost when his head was brought down against the floor. 

Valentine’s hand released his hair, but Jace didn’t move. He stared at a man’s shoes, blinking slowly, trying to get the ringing in his ears to dissipate. He didn’t hear the door open, or couldn’t to be more specific, but he saw it through the legs of the men that stood around him. Hodge came running in, looking bloody and ragged.

Sounds came back to Jace in bits and pieces. A voice or two. The sound of footsteps  across the floor. Adamas scraping against cement as a seraph blade was picked up off the floor. By the time Jace could hear everything again, Valentine was kicking him onto his back with the toe of his boot. He pointed his seraph blade down at Jace’s chest. 

“Do you give up? Or do you want to keep fighting me?” asked Valentine.

Jace knew that he was in no shape to continue fighting a man that was more skilled that he, but he also knew that if he gave in, then he would have sealed his fate and the fate of his friends and family. Hodge appeared at Valentine’s shoulder. His expression seemed guarded and unsure, but Jace didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong with him. 

“We keep going,” declared Jace. He was slow to rise to his feet. His head was a fuzzy mess, in its own world, seemingly unattached from his body. 

Hodge retrieved Jace’s blade from where he’d dropped it and then helped Jace to his feet. Rising slowly to his feet with the added assistance, Jace as aware of Hodge’s proximity to him, his head ducked low over Jace’s until they were practically touching. Jace wasn’t prepared for what Hodge had to say to him

“Alec’s safe. You need to get to the institute.” 

Jace tried not to stare at him despite the shock of his words. He kept his eyes on the floor, but couldn’t help the sigh that escaped him. Those dark thoughts that had been plaguing Jace before had moved on, if only for a little while.

His happiness was short lived, however, as an understanding of his current situation set in. Alec was safe and yet Jace still could not reach him. Would there ever be a time when it didn’t feel like there was an ocean in-between them, blocking their way back to each other?  Jace gave a barely perceptible jerk of his eyes towards Valentine. “I can’t.”

“You can. When I move. You move.”

Jace didn’t know what that meant but he straightened up and readied himself all the same. 

Valentine looked pointedly towards Hodge, clearly wondering what was taking him so long. “Well?”

Hodge still held Jace’s blade. He shook it in his hand, like he was testing the weight of it. Then he slashed at the rogue shadowhunters behind Jace. They jumped back and away from the blade as it came down at them, opening a path out of the circle of bodies. “Go!”

Jace darted forward, slipping through the gap between two men. He kept running even as one of them grabbed at his jacket. Jace pulled the man along with him and threw himself into the doorframe, dislodging his attacker as his full body weight crushed the man against the wall. Jace didn’t spare a glance back for the man as he slumped down to the floor stunned, he didn’t even spare a glance at Valentine’s cry of rage and the clatter of swords that could only be Hodge engaging Valentine. He didn’t look, but he wanted to. 

Hodge would most certainly die today. Jace just wished he could have said goodbye. 


	8. Six of Cups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Six of Cups-meanings: Sharing. Partnership. Giving and receiving.

Alec pressed himself back against the far wall of the elevator but it still didn’t give him enough room to breathe with ease. Alec’s eyes were fixed on the back of Simon’s head. The vampire was standing so close to him that the brown hair on top of his head stirred every time Alec exhaled through his nose. Alec was relieved to see that he wasn’t the only one feeling uncomfortable in the cramped space of the elevator. Magnus was staring straight ahead, watching the light flash up through the crack between the doors. Simon was fidgeting so much that he accidentally kept punching Alec in the thigh. Camille was the only one who seemed unconcerned by the crowded quarters, flicking her hair over one shoulder. Magnus, who was standing directly behind her, sputtered and blew her hair out of his mouth, shooting an irritated glare at the back of her dark head of hair.

“So how will we know if we’ve found the Book of the White?” asked Alec. “I mean…  I’ve never set eyes on it before… I’m guessing it’s big, old, and white, but I’m sure Camille has a ton of books that look similar to that.”

“That’s not exactly correct” admitted Magnus. “While the book is big and white, Dot could have disguised it to look like something else. She could have made it look like People Magazine for all we know.”

Simon twisted around in the confined space. His nose skimmed Alec’s chin and Alec jerked away so hard that his head thudded into the back wall. “But that means it could take us hours, or worse,  _ days _ , to find it!”

Alec leveled his best withering expression at him. “Why did you need to turn around to say that? Like this isn’t uncomfortable enough without you mouth-breathing in my face.”

Simon made a hurt expression. “I’m not a mouth-breather!”

Alec rolled his eyes. “You’re a fledgling vampire. All fledglings are mouth-breathers.”

“That’s seems like an unfair generalization.” objected Simon.

“The nephilim is right,” replied Camille. “Vampires, because we’re undead, don’t strictly need to breathe to survive. We only do so to maintain a normal appearance in mundane society. Fledglings aren’t used to this and often feel unnatural because of it, so they focus too much attention on breathing, oftentimes breathing through their mouths, instead of their noses. As fledglings adjust to their bodies, they learn to breath normally through their noses.” 

“Huh,” Simon’s eyebrows creased together. 

“Yeah, I know. It’s fascinating.” snapped Alec. “Now get your face out of my face.”

Alec caught Camille’s smirk out of the corner of his eye. “What? Not your type?”

Alec glared sideways at her. “I’ve met demons whose breath smelled better.”

“Hey now, guys!” cried Simon. “That’s really not nice. Can’t we all just be cool and not channel all our hatred at Simon. Simon, technically, saved two out of three lives in his elevator.”

Magnus coughed, “Simon needs to stop talking in third person if he wants people to like him.”  

“Simon is going to st—” Magnus’ look was pointed. “Right, right. Sorry. Stopping now.”

Simon wiggled around until he was facing forward. Right before the elevator stopped, the doors opening with a cheerful ding. The four of them stumbled out of the small space and into the museum-like expanse that was Camille Belcourt’s apartment. 

Alec’s fingers skimmed across the intricately carved wood archway as they rounded into a private library that put the Institute’s collection to shame. Alec whistled, “You’ve got a lot of books.”

“I have a lot of time on my hands,” replied Camille, making her way towards the desk that stood at one end of the room. “There’s three more rooms just like this one. Just down the hall.”

Camille plucked a quill from its holder on the corner of the desk and pulled Simon over to stand by her. 

“Magnus, the document, if you please.”

Alec followed Magnus over to the desk. He watched as Magnus pulled a large piece of parchment out of thin air and positioned it on the desk. His hands lingered in the air over the paper for a moment as Magnus stood still with his eyes closed. Alec watched the way Magnus’s eyes flicked about behind his closed lids as he drew the incantation from the back of his mind. 

Blue smoke swirled from Magnus’ fingertips while they danced over the page. Alec watched Magnus’ smooth lips form barely audible words, casting spells that were only meant for him and him alone, drawing from the magic that resided deep within his being. 

Alec watched those lips twist and breath words in a tongue he didn’t understand and wished for them to press up against the skin of his neck. He wanted loving words to spill from Magnus’ lips. He knew that Magnus wanted to utter those words to him… that he would willingly do so if Alec stopped putting up his walls. Alec wanted to drop his defenses. He wanted to let Magnus in. Wanted to let someone love him, but he also wanted Magnus to respect his desire to find Jace. To save Jace. Some things came before love. Some relationships, like the bonds of brotherhood, were formed before the romantic kind. 

The document was formed, black ink scrawled across the parchment to form the contract that would seal Simon’s fate. If the vampire signed this, all hope of getting justice against Camille would be lost. The Clave would not be able to do anything if Simon consented. 

Camille jabbed Simon with the quill point, drawing blood up from the wound on his finger and handing the quill to him. Simon took it, and without giving himself time to dwell over the future consequences, scribbling his name on the line on the bottom of the page. 

When it was done the document poofed into thin air. Camille casted a surprised glance at Magnus, a silent question readable on her face. 

Magnus smiled. “It’s safely stored in your vault. I wouldn’t want you to lose it.”

Camille’s smile was slow to form and structured like that of a lawmaker, careful not to give anything away. “Of course. Thank you, Magnus.”

She strutted past Simon, who turned to follow her path as she moved back towards the elevator. 

“Um,” Simon waved his hands, exasperated, “The Book?”

Camille turned back with an aghast expression on her face, like she had just remembered something.  _ Of course she did _ , thought Alec,  _ she only played along because she knew you could get something out of it _ . 

He wasn’t at all surprised when she said, “Oh,  _ I _ don’t know where the book is. Dot obviously put it here to keep it save. Telling me would defeat that purpose.”

She smiled. “I’m sure it’s here though. If you know what to look for.”

Simon gaped at her. “You mean we’re going to have to search all four rooms?”

Camille clapped, daintily. “Someone’s got it. Good luck!”

She was gone is a blur of motion before anyone had a chance to react. Simon was still gaping at the spot where she had stood just a moment before.

Magnus spoke sharply in a demon language, something that sounded like a curse. Though, to be honest, anything spoken in a demonic language sounded like a curse. Alec decided to give Magnus the benefit of the doubt.

Magnus swiveled sharply and thrust two fingers at Alec and Simon. “You two! Start searching in this room. I’ll take the fourth and we’ll meet in the middle.”

“Hopefully we won’t have to,” stated Alec. 

The look Magnus flashed him over his shoulder as he walked away, said he had been thinking the same thing. When Magnus had disappeared down the corridor, Alec turned his attention towards the large bookshelf that covered the wall and towered over him at twice his height. 

Simon walked over to the same shelf and stood at Alec’s shoulder. After a moment on hopeless staring up at the challenge that loomed in front of them, he shrugged.

“Wanna start with the white ones?”

Alec was ready to snap something about the stupidity of that comment, because  _ yes, obviously _ they were going to start with the white ones. But even he knew that at a certain point it was pointless to argue. It wouldn’t make the time go any faster, so they might as well work together, so that he could find Jace, lock him in the Institute, and take a well-earned shower. Alec spared a brief second to stare down the corridor, wondering if Magnus would factor into there. Maybe after the shower? They would need time to sit down at talk about what had happened, time to re-evaluate and reassure each other. But not now… not yet, Alec reminded himself. 

“Let’s get started,” Alec sighed and climbed the ladder to the top shelf.

Ten minutes later, with books stacked all over the floor according to color, size, and topic, they had nothing to show for their work except the copy of Jocelyn’s favorite cookbook tucked under Simon’s arm. Alec was trying to decide if they should just move on to the next room, but he couldn’t hear himself think over Simon’s glorification of chicken cacciatore.

“ — even better the next day. The gift that keeps on giving—”

“Will you shut up about chicken cacciatore already!” Snapped Alec.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Have you found anything with any link to Dot and Jocelyn? Well, have you?”

Simon waited three whole seconds before continuing, seeming to realise rather quickly that it might be better not to give Alec time to come up with another insult.

“No, you haven’t. This cookbook is probably the only significant thing in this library. Dot must have left it here for safekeeping. I mean, have we come across any cookbooks in this entire room?”

Alec stared harder at the cookbook tucked under Simon’s arm, thinking through Simon’s words. He made a small circle, scrutinizing the stacks of books around them. Simon was right. There had been no other cookbooks.

Alec held out his hand. “Let me see that.”

Simon handed the book over and Alec twisted and turned it in his hands. It didn’t feel magical… thought Alec wasn’t really the judge on that. Angelic power radiated differently than the demonic power used by downworlders. Alec’s fingers skimmed over the top of the pages, catching on a piece of fabric wedged in between two pages of the book. Alec opened the book to the marked page and stared at the torn fabric bookmark that laid over the recipe for chicken cacciatore. 

Alec shut the book and ran. 

“Magnus!” 

Alec passed the second room that had been left untouched.

“Magnus! We’ve found it!”

He caught sight of Magnus’ tall form and spiky hair right before he’d fully passed the third room. Alec turned back so fast, he slipped and skidded on the tile floor before he could start running again. When he entered the room, Magnus has stopped his searching at the sound of his shouting. 

Alec opened the book and showed him the torn bookmark. “Clary gave you something like this, didn’t she?”

Magnus fumbled for the pocket of his coat and pulled free a distressed piece of blue and gold fabric. He held in delicately between his fingers for a moment, almost in awe, before placing it in the missing spot. The two parts fitted together like puzzle pieces and the whole book started to glow with light until there was a large white book helding open in Alec’s arms, the pages covered with scribbles and marks that Alec couldn’t hope to decipher. Alec turned his gaze instead from the pages of the book to Magnus’ face which gleamed with reverence.

Magnus smiled up at him. “I can’t believe it. We’re holding one of the most powerful spellbooks known to man… or well, non-mundanes.”

“We need to get this back to the Institute.” Alec closed the book.

“Alec,” Magnus clutched his arm before Alec could fully turn away. When Alec stilled, Magnus’ grip loosened and slid down to rest on top of his hand were it held the book. “I wanted to apologize for before. I know I should never had made you choose between your devotion for your family and your commitment to me. It wasn’t right or fair and I just need you to know that in the future—”

“Guys!” The shout was only uttered a split second before Simon’s body came barreling into both of them, knocking them off their feet. 

“What the hell is wrong with you, Simon?” Groaned Magnus as Alec helped him back up to his feet. He rubbed at the back of his head that had made a sudden collision with the floor.

“Sorry.” Simon panted, “Vampire speed isn’t that hard. Mostly it’s just the stopping short that’s difficult to get a hang of. But that’s not the problem.”

“The problem? What problem?” asked Alec.

“There’s a portal forming in the front room. I think Valentine’s men are trying to come through.”

Magnus tilted his head a fraction back towards where Simon had just come from. He appeared to be sensing something in the air, the way a hound might catch the smell of prey on the wind. “They’re already here and they’re strategically blocking our exit.”

“Here,” Alec shoved the book into Simon’s hands. “Guard this and, for the love of everything holy, stay out of the way.”

Alec unslung his bow from around his back and fitted an arrow. “I’m going to clear a path. Stay close behind me until I tell the both of you to run for the exit.”

  “Not me. I’ve had enough of waiting on the sidelines.” declared Magnus, “Where you fight, I fight.” 

His voice was so determined that Alec was almost afraid to argue with him. So he didn’t. Besides, he liked the idea of someone watching  _ his _ back for once. 

“Alright,” said Alec and started down the corridor. The sound of footsteps in the front room alerted him that they were getting close to their target. As they neared, Alec widened his stance, his bow raised to his eyeline, ready to shoot at any sudden movement.

The first man came down the hallway at a run and Alec didn’t hesitate to put an arrow in his neck. The man’s seraph blade clattered to the wood floor and a second later so did his body, hitting the ground as he clutched at the wound in his neck, try to stop the flow of blood. 

Alec stopped moving, staring down at the dying man.

Suddenly, Alec missed shooting his arrows at demons. At least they exploded into ash when he shot them. Alec never had to witness the after effects when he fired fatal shots. He never had to witness someone bleeding out on the shiny wood floor, that was for sure. Though Alec thought he wouldn’t mind if that person happened to be Valentine Morgenstern. Alec would love to spill his blood.

Magnus stepped in front of Alec, his hands raised, ready to defend Alec. Alec wanted to thank Magnus for giving him a moment to compose himself, but there was no time for such words during battle. Alec shook off his nausea and moved forward until he stood next to Magnus. They crossed over the threshold as a pair, just like Alec would have done had he been with Jace. It was both the same and entirely different at the same time.

Magnus reacted before even Alec saw the attack coming, slipping into a wide stance, his magic crackling between his two hands and shooting out at the attacker in an extension of Magnus’ extended fist. The ball of blue energy hit the man square in the chest, knocking him off his feet and sending him skidding across the floor until he hit the far wall.

Alec turned his shocked gaze towards Magnus, which gave him the perfect timing to witness a man coming at Magnus’ flank. Alec sent arrow after arrow whizzing towards the attacker. The man blocked most of Alec’s shots with the flat of his blade until one lucky arrow struck him in the thigh, breaking his stride. An electric blue whip kicked the man’s feet out from under him. 

Alec had to wonder for a second if this was what it felt like for Jace. To experience someone following your strides so closely that they seemed to act out what you were thinking in that moment. It felt to Alec like any motion he started, Magnus completed. They were each other’s eyes, guarding the other’s weak spots. 

There was movement out of the corner of Alec’s eye. The last man standing who had been lying in wait out of eyesight. 

“Mags!” Alec gasped, not even saying his whole name, just attempting to make some noise of warning. It seemed to be enough as Magnus narrowly avoided the slash of a seraph blade, throwing up a wall of magic that acted as a temporary shield. 

Alec reached back for another arrow to take the man down from across the room, but his fingers clutched at empty air. He was out of arrows and now his bow was useless. Alec snatched a discarded dagger from the ground and charged forward.

Alec did so without thinking about it too hard and it was potentially stupid enough to shock Magnus and break his concentration.  The blue wall of magic shuttered and vanished into thin air right before Alec pass through where it would have stood. Alec’s shoulder slammed into the man’s middle a second later. Alec used his momentum to throw them both onto the ground, striking down with his dagger at any exposed portion of his attacker’s body. 

The dagger sunk into the fleshy part between the man’s ribs and lodged there. The hands that had previously been bruising Alec’s arms in their attempt to twist Alec under the other man, slackened and fell to the ground. 

Alec pushed off the man with a gasp, like he’d just surfaced from underwater. He almost choked on that breath as a man grabbed Alec by the leg and dragged him across the floor. It was the same man that Alec had just wounded. The arrow was broken off in his thigh and dripping blood onto the floor. He was unsteady and bloody, having stumbled to his feet in the final attempt at victory. The glowing point of a seraph blade loomed above Alec face. 

The man was blasted off his feet and all the way across the room and through the open portal door. His cry of alarm was cut short, abruptly.  

Alec jerked to stare at Magnus, who was positioned in a crouched, lunging stance used in kung fu, his arms thrust in two different direction. One out towards the portal, the other position up at the ceiling. His fingers still crackled with leftover magic.  

Magnus’ expression was a mask that transformed slowly into an expression of anger as his stance returned to standing position, like he had reacted out of instinct. It was something Alec was only too familiar with, his training so ingrained within him that he found himself doing the same on many occasions.

“Have fun in limbo, asshole.” snapped Magnus with uncharacteristic fury.

Magnus took a moment to close the portal with a few strokes of his arms. Then he proceeded to pull Alec to his feet. Magnus’ eyes skimmed over Alec for signs of injury. 

Alec gawked at him. “Did you just eject a man into limbo for me?”

“Did you just call me ‘Mags’?” Magnus countered. 

Alec swallowed. “Uh— yeah, I did. There wasn’t time—”

Magnus smiled. “I like it. Could you… maybe say it again?”

Alec was still having trouble switching his brain from fight mode to a discussion about potential nicknames, so he couldn’t really help it when he said, “Um, alright. Mags, you know Shaolin Kung Fu?”

“Yeah, you don’t spend a year ‘finding yourself’ in a Tibetan monastery and not pick up a few moves. Why, does that shock you?”

“No… I mean, yeah kinda,” Alec braced himself with a hand on Magnus’ shoulder. “What I mean is… I find that really frickin sexy.”

Magnus’ eyebrows jumped a little at that. A smirk wasn’t slow to follow it. “I was going to say the same about the nickname.”

Magnus pecked Alec quickly on the lips. He’d sobered a little bit when they parted lips. 

“Does this mean we’re not fighting anymore?”

Alec glanced down at his feet, thinking it over. He spared a glance around the room at the carnage left by their fight against Valentine’s rogue shadowhunters. Magnus had just fought beside Alec, like Jace would have done, had he been there. He had stayed when others might have left and apologized for making Alec choose between his two loyalties. 

Alec decided he couldn’t hate Magnus when he might have done the same in Magnus’ position. 

“No, I don’t think we are anymore.” Alec smiled.

Magnus slid his hand into Alec’s. “Good. We still need to sit down and talk, but right now let’s go find Simon. We still have some things to accomplish before today is through.”

“Agreed.”


	9. Ten of Cups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten of Cups meaning: A happy union.

Alec's nerves were strung as tight as the bow slung across his back even after they'd left Camille's apartment with the bodies of the rogue shadowhunters splayed out across the floor. He knew that the feeling wasn't going to dissipate until they were back on the hallowed ground of the institute. With the sun at it's zenith, travelling above ground was out of the question for Simon. As was portaling, as Magnus' magic was currently drained from the battle against Valentine's men. That only left them with mundane traveling methods.

Simon had sped them at vampire speed down into the subway, both of them clutched to either of his arms. When they came to a stop Alec smacked at Simon's clothes until they stopped smoking. There were holes in his t-shirt where his skin had burned through the fabric. Simon appraised his outfit in dismay.

"It's fine," Magnus tried to console him. "You just look like you've joined a punk rock band."

"So I don't look bad?" asked Simon hopefully.

"I never said that." Magnus continued forward towards the turnstile.

They huddled into a subway car and started on their way towards the institute. Magnus clutched protectively at the leather satchel worn across his body, the one he'd summoned to carry the Book of the White. With the small amount of magic he had left in his system, it was the most he could do to shield it from prying eyes, a glamour required more energy than he currently possessed. Alec and Simon held onto a pole and rocked in silence with the motion of the car. A lurch around a turn had Magnus swaying unsteadily on his feet. Alec caught hold of him, his arm wrapping around Magnus' back, and pulling him to his chest. Magnus only grunted agreeably at the motion. Alec could feel his breath against his neck.

"If you need to take some of my strength like before, go ahead." said Alec. "You're going to need some powerful magic to wake Jocelyn from her enchantment."

"M'fine. Really." mumbled Magnus into the fabric of his shirt.

Alec scowled.

"Don't be an idiot. Get on with it and take some of my strength already. People are staring."

It was true. Alec had forgotten to glamour himself with his stele before they entered the subway. A few mundanes glanced at them periodically with questioning looks on their faces. After a moment spent deliberating, Magnus slid his hand up Alec's arm while he held onto the pole. When Magnus drew from Alec a second later, Alec felt it like a knife pulling across his skin to draw blood.

Alec gasped at first and then bit down on any further noise. He couldn't help it if he leaned a little closer into Magnus' warm form as it rocked beside him to the sway of the subway track. Magnus only ever drew enough energy from him to leave the both of them with enough strength to get by. They were caught in a state of limbo, between strength and weakness, that gave Alec a head rush.

Alec let his head thump back against the pole and closed his eyes.

It felt like only a few seconds later when the car slowed to a stop at the platform, the brakes screeching loud enough to jerk Alec back to attention. He must have dozed off at some point, but couldn't be sure for how long.

The doors slid open with a ping, the automated voice coming on over the speakers advising passengers to be careful leaving the car.

"Alec—" Magnus' tone was cautionary.

Alec followed Magnus' gaze out past the doors towards the back of the platform. The wave of mundanes that had just exited their subway car broke apart with unseeing eyes into two sections around a group of men dressed in black. Shadowhunters. They were his people, on his side, but for some reason Alec didn't want to draw their gaze. Raziel must not have cared about his wishes, however, since a few seconds later they had fixed their gaze on him and were moving forward to intercept them as Alec, Simon, and Magnus exited onto the platform.

Alec realized the cause of his unease. Alec stared at a woman in gray, the color of her robes setting her apart from the darkly-clad Shadowhunters around her.

"Madame Inquisitor," Alec stated at the same moment that Magnus replied with casual surprise, "Imogen."

Imogen Herondale had been staring at Alec with an intensity that made Alec's shoulders tense but she moved her gaze towards Magnus after a long moment, looking as if she were dealing with an annoyance with returning to her main issue.

"You'd be wise to follow young Alexander's example, Magnus Bane."

Magnus sent her an contemptuous look, appraising her from her blonde head of hair to the thick leather boots. "You'll have to excuse my informality. I just find it hard to speak any other way with a person I've known since she was spitting up on her mother's blouses."

The inquisitor grimaced and Alec resisted the urge to elbow Magnus in the ribs.

"Yes, well you were never one to adhere to the social graces, were you?"

Now it was Magnus' turn to grimace. Alec knew the Inquisitor must be insinuating something from Magnus' past. Just another thing that Alec didn't know about the man standing next to him.

Alec wasn't given long to ponder the statement.

"Where is Hodge Starkweather?" The Inquisitor asked Alec. "Your family brought it to my attention that you were taken captive by Mr. Starkweather and that he is suspected of the theft of the mortal cup and collaborating with Valentine Morgenstern."

Alec swallowed. "All of that is true. The last I saw of him he was thwarting Valentine's plan to murder me. He set me free."

"Regardless of the amends he made recently, that does not dismiss the fact that he broke the enchantment placed on him by the Council in order to abet a fugitive of the Clave."

A Shadowhunter that Alec recognized from the Institute was brave enough to speak up. "Your sister reported back to us that Starkweather is at the docks. Is that information correct?"

Alec cleared his throat. "Yes—"

"Was Clary with her?" Simon cut in, spewing a barrage of questions. "Are they okay? Did they have Jocelyn with them?"

The Shadowhunter squinted at him. "Yes."

"Yes?" Simon sputtered. "What kind of an answer is 'yes'? In case you didn't hear me correctly there were multiple question asked. I know all of you Shadowhunters are fond of your brusque answers but would it _kill_ you to say more than _two words_ for once in your mis—"

"Simon," Alec grasped his arm tighter than necessary, hoping pain would make the vampire shut his trap before he said something that got them all in trouble. "We're literally five minutes away from the Institute. We'll see for ourselves soon enough."

Magnus straightened up to his full height. "Yes, glad that we could take this time to chat. It seems we're all busy, however. You have some fugitives to catch. We have an enchantment to break. So why don't we just…"

Alec was still gripping Simon's arm, so when Magnus grabbed onto Alec and dragged him around the group he took both of them with him. Alec was grateful to leave the Inquisitor's severe presence, but he knew that this wouldn't be the last he saw of her. His family had endangered the shadow-world by allowing Hodge to slip out of the Institute and it was a mistake they would have to answer for.

 

They entered through the Sanctuary and some message must have been transmitted ahead of them because Alec barely had time to close the door before he was assaulted by Isabelle. She collided with him, enveloping him in slender limbs and the pleasant scent of her perfume.

"Thank the Angel you're alright," she gasped.

Alec blew her long hair out of his face so that he could respond. Over Isabelle's shoulder Alec caught site of Simon and Clary hugging each other. His parents hovered by Jocelyn's body along with Luke and other members of the Clave, but they seemed to refrain from rushing towards him as Isabelle had done. Alec's eyes scanned the rest of the sanctuary hurriedly but there was no sign of the person he was the most desperate to see. He pulled out of the hug, needing to know for sure.

"Jace?"

The smile on Isabelle's face wobbled then vanished. Alec knew she was trying to maintain a brave face— to show how much of an adult she could be especially around all of the Clave members that had invaded the Institute, but she could not hide her true emotions from her older brother. She'd never been very good at that, Alec remembered, ever since she was a little girl.

She shook her head. "There's been no word from him. We hoped that he'd met up with you…"

Alec took a shuttering breath and reminded himself not to think the worst. But how could he not, knowing that Jace had gone to engage Valentine Morgenstern by himself?

Isabelle took his hand. "It's going to be okay, Alec. It will."

Her voice was tight with fear, though, and her words did nothing to reassure his fears. Alec slipped his hand under his shirt and pressed it to his parabatai mark. He traced the angled lines with his thumb, repeating every time he reached the end. It was still there, so Jace was still there. Alec had to remind himself that where Jace was right now, he at least was safe, though Alec wished desperately that he would find his way home.

"Alec," It was his mother. At some point in time his parents had moved across the room to stand at his elbow. "You don't know how worried we were when we found out you were missing. Thank the Angel, you're safe."

"Don't thank the Angel. Thank Hodge." replied Alec.

" _Hodge_?" His father grunted. "Hodge will be lucky to keep his life after what he's done. Betraying his own people, kidnapping you… and why didn't you tell us sooner Isabelle? Don't you know how irrespon—"

" _Stop_ ," Alec barked, his father's anger stoking Alec own anger in kind. "We're not having this conversation now. Not now."

Alec sighed with relief when his father huffed but remained, gracefully, silent. "Magnus, Clary's waited long enough for this moment. Go perform the enchantment. Wake Jocelyn and reunite her with her daughter."

Magnus gazed at him with an uncharacteristic apprehension. Alec did not think he'd ever seen that emotion from Magnus.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked.

"No," replied Alec. "I'll stay here."

He was going to wait as long as it took for his own reunion. Besides, he thought it might be too painful to pull himself away from the doorway.

Alec sat himself down on the cold stone steps of the Sanctuary. His eyes stayed glued to the heavy wooden door as he registered the soft pad of Magnus' footsteps slowly fading into the distance. Alec sat there for what felt like a long while, the coldness of the stones seeping into his legs. His muscles turned stiff and ached. Behind him Magnus' voice rose in volume, the foreign tongue he spoke reaching Alec in waves.

The door shoved open all of a sudden and Magnus cut off abruptly at the disturbance. Alec was up in an instant, pain sparking through the muscles of his legs at the sudden change in position. A mob of shadowhunters passed through the door. Alec couldn't see who was standing in the middle of them, held from both sides.

Alec pushed through the bodies, their annoyed cries lost on him.

He reached the center and felt like the breath had been stolen from him.

The Inquisitor stepped up beside Alec with a smug grin on her face. "We found him right where you left him."

"Hodge," Alec croaked.

Hodge was bruised and blood and alive, Alec was thankful for that, but he wasn't the one Alec was bonded to. And Hodge understood that, his expression full of unrepressed sympathy for the boy he'd trained from childhood.

The Inquisitor's men started to drag Hodge away towards a holding cell. Hodge twisted his body in their grip. "Alec, I sent him running here. He was heading back to you, back to the Institute, when I took on Valentine for him."

 _Then why are you here and he isn't?_ Alec wanted to ask.

He didn't though because Hodge was already being moved into the next room and Alec knew he wouldn't have any more answers than Alec did.

At the back of the Sanctuary Magnus started chanting again but there was a new presence beside Alec. Alec turned to stare at Luke.

"What are you doing over here?" Alec gestured back towards Jocelyn and Clary. "Go back to your family. They'll need you when she wakes."

"Clary has Simon, besides I think you need someone more right now."

"I'm fine."

“Don’t lie to me,” warned Luke. “We’re the only two people in the room right now who know what being parabatai truly feels like. Sometimes the toll it takes on a person is more than they can handle.”

Alec put up a hand to stop him. “Listen, I appreciate your concern but I really don’t need your fatherly wisdom right now.”

Luke squeezed Alec’s shoulder. “Alec, for your own health you need to stay calm—”

“I am calm!” Alec yanked his arm out of Luke’s grip and pointed at him with an aggressive slash of his hand. “I— I’m calm, Luke. You know what’s stressful? Having everyone telling me to remain calm!”

“Why don’t we take a trip to the infirmary? You need to be checked over for injuries.” Luke’s hand returned to rest on Alec’s arm again, despite Alec’s efforts to shrug away from his touch. Alec really didn’t have time for this right now.

“Hodge already drew an iratze on me at the warehouse.”

“That only works for superficial wounds—”

Alec stepped backwards, but Luke’s hold only tightened in response. Alec didn’t miss the pleading look Luke sent towards Alec’s father that had Robert moving towards them to herd Alec from the other side. Alec felt crowded and angry. He was so tired… it almost made him want to give in and let them lead him away, but he knew he couldn’t.

“Dad, leave him alone!” Isabelle cried from across the room, anchored in place by her mother. “Just let him stay for a little while longer. Please, Dad! It’s not doing any harm!”

“He needs rest.” replied Robert. “I’m only trying to help him.”

All at once the Sanctuary erupted in a burst of noise. There were cries from Clary and Simon as Magnus finished his enchantment and Jocelyn awoke and sat up on the table, blinking around at everyone. Isabelle was still crying out in Alec’s defense even as Alec tried to plead his own case to the two men frog-marching him towards the door. 

“Leave him alone. What are you doing? Let him go!”

Between all the voices that were echoing throughout the room, it took Alec a moment to place the tattooed hands that were fisted in Robert’s jacket, yanking insistently, or the voice that went with it. The hands on Alec slackened in shock and Alec jerked free and turned.

He stood there slack jawed for a second before his brain caught up with his eyes. “By the Angel!”

Alec pulled Jace into an embrace, his arms locking tightly around his parabatai. Jace’s face was smashed into Alec’s chest and Alec could feel the vibrations of his laughter through his shirt. 

They pulled away a moment later, each checking the other for wounds with eyes and hands alike. Jace was dishevelled and sweaty, looking like he definitely had run the whole way here. But he wasn’t dying which was what mattered most to Alec at the moment.

“I thought I’d never see you again.” Jace panted.

“So did I.” Despite the dire topic of conversation Alec couldn’t stop grinning. A moment later he regained some of his former composure and punched Jace as hard as he could in the arm. “ Don’t you ever go behind my back and make self-sacrificing plans like that again. I’m not some damsel that needs to be sent away from danger for my own safety. The next time we go to battle we stick together. Agreed?”

Jace smiled and gave Alec an answering punch in the shoulder. “Agreed.”

Jace's face blurred and swayed in Alec's eyes. He grabbed onto Jace as the world started to turn sideways. "Alec?"

Alec tried to respond with a tongue that felt as heavy as lead when his knees have out.

"Alec!"


	10. Chapter 10

There were voices speaking over Alec in some not-so-quiet tones when Alec’s eyes fluttered open. Two figures were positioned on either side of his body. He could feel their weight and warmth against either side of his hips. It was only then that he stopped to register other sensations, like the firm mattress that he was stretched out across. He couldn’t remember going back to his room… actually he couldn’t remember much of the day at all, except traveling on the subway with Magnus. That drawn out feeling as Magnus pulled from Alec’s strength was unforgettable. And Jace… Jace had appeared out of thin air, but Alec thought that might have just been a dream. Everything was hazy at best. Why was that?

It took a moment, but eventually his brain came up with the answer for him.

_The infirmary. Don’t you remember you idiot? You passed out._

Alec groaned at his own patheticness. He wondered if this is what Simon felt like on a daily basis.

There was a chuckle as the voices above him broke off.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” said a deep voice to Alec’s right. Alec knew that voice. He turned his head, eyes blinking owlishly.

“Jace,” he croaked. So it hadn’t been a dream.

“By the Angel, he sounds horrible. Jace, get him some water.”

Alec’s gaze jumped the other way in shock, not believing who he was hearing.

“Lydia?” The girl gave him an easy smile, blonde hair loose and framing her face. “You’re awake?”

She laughed. “I could say the same for you!”

There was a bandage taped to the side of her forehead and a tired air about her, but besides that she looked fine. Better than Alec felt at any rate.

Jace came back with a glass of water, the mattress springs squeaking under him as he perched on the edge and handed the glass over to Alec. It was only when Alec started to drink that he realized how thirsty he was. As Jace went to refill the glass for him Alec asked, “What happened?”

That elicited a snort from Jace, “You fainted, idiot. Just collapsed right in front of me. You really know how to ruin a happy reunion, you know that?”

“Sorry,” replied Alec, though he didn’t really understand how that was his fault.

Alec shoved himself into a sitting position so that he could rest his back against the small, metal headboard of the infirmary bed. A quick glance around the infirmary had more questions than answers popping into his head. The room was empty except for the three of them and the wide frosted glass panel doors at the end of the room were slid shut. An unusual site with the amount of injuries Shadowhunters were predisposed to on the job.

Jace cast him a knowing grin. “Noticed that, did ya?”

“Did something else happen while I was out?” he asked.

Jace and Lydia shared a look that suggested to Alec he’d been unconscious for longer than he would have liked and that it had given Jace and Lydia plenty of time to bond.

“It appears,” stated Lydia with an eyeroll that told Alec all he need to know about her thoughts of the matter, “That we’re a security risk for the Clave. We were all in contact with Hodge during his escape from the institute and the members of the Clave wish for us to remain here to ‘rest and recover from our harrowing circumstances’ until Hodge’s trial is over. Whatever the hell that means anyway… ”

“It means,” said Jace, “That the Clave doesn’t know where our loyalties lie and want to keep us locked up in here until after the trial so we don’t sway the other clave members to take pity on Hodge.”

“Take pity?” protested Lydia, “He left me for dead. Why would I want anyone to take pity on him?”

Jace shrugged like the answer was obvious. “Because it was all an act, or at least that’s what the Inquisitor probably thinks.”

“What?” Lydia looked at him like he’d lost his mind.

Jace cast a look over his shoulder at the closed doors and shifted closer on the mattress. Alec pulled his knees up to his chest so that the three of them could huddle in a tight circle on the bed.

“Think about it,” said Jace. “Hodge rebels against the Clave. He steals the cup and kidnaps Jocelyn, but he leaves you alive when he could just as easily killed you. He takes Alec on Valentine’s bidding and keeps him locked in a cage, even tortures him, but when Valentine tries to have Alec killed, Hodge saves his life and lets him go free. _And then_ , not only does he save my life but he goes as far as taking on Valentine in combat to do so. If he wanted to save his own skin, why risk helping us? Unless we were in on it together.”

“They can’t really believe something like that. It’s ludicrous!” said Lydia.

Alec rubbed at the stubble on his chin. He really needed to shave… and shower. He smelled like sweat and death, nothing new about that, it was basically the Shadowhunter version of Channel No 5.

“But if they do… and they think Hodge is a traitor, what does that make us?”

“Is it too unrealistic to hope they just think we’re danger junkies with no respect for Clave laws… in other words, _normal Nephilim teenagers_?” asked Lydia.

Jace cracked a smile. “Me? Sure. You two upstanding citizens? Not so much. Besides, Alec, if they do suspect you of conspiring with the enemy, dating one of the most powerful warlocks in the world isn’t helping your case. They’ll keep you here out of fear alone.”

Alec grimaced. “Yeah, and I have a feeling Magnus and Inquisitor Herondale aren’t what you’d call copacetic.”

“Oh,” Jace smiled a shark-toothed grin. “You bet your ass they’re not _copacetic_. Magnus looked ready to unleash a horde of Iblis demons on her when she refused to let him treat you. Only refrained himself because I’d be staying here with you.”

“That’s just… fantastic,” Alec sighed, rubbing at his face. “That’s just the hostile atmosphere we need brewing in the air when we try to convince the Clave of our innocence.”

“Why should we?” asked Jace.

Alec frowned. “Why should we what? Convince them we’re innocent? Maybe because we _are_.”

Jace shifted until he was staring Alec full in the face. The look in his eyes was the same beseeching one he’d had in front of the entryway to the City of Bones when he’d asked Alec to go against the Clave with him. The moment that had temporarily broken their friendship and drew the line in the sand for how far their loyalties could be tested before they broke.

Alec could tell they were circling back to the same topic now. He didn’t want to go through that again. It still hurt and he was even less sure of where he stood since the most recent events.

Jace seemed to read his thoughts, not an unusual occurrence between the two. He softened his tone, taking a different approach compared to how he had shouted the words at Alec only days ago.

“The Clave has wrongly accused Shadowhunters too many times to sit right with me. Your parents, Isabelle, Hodge… now us? How many of the people that you care about do they have to attack before you realize that they’re not upholding the law, they’re just hiding behind it? If they think we’re criminals, why don’t we act like it? Take the law into our own hands. Save our own from becoming their scapegoats.”

“Hodge went to Valentine willingly,” Protested Alec, unwilling to depart with his moral compass so easily. “He betrayed our trust—”

“He also saved our lives.” Argued Jace, a trace of heat in his voice. It was the same tone he used when he thought Alec was recklessly endangering his life. His ‘I’m saving you from yourself’ voice. “How much worse would all of this have turned out if he’d not been there to stop it? You’d probably be dead, Alec. _I’d be dead_.”

It felt like a piece of ice stabbing Alec in the chest… the certainty in his voice. And Alec wondered morbidly if that certainty was because he couldn’t live without Alec, or because he _wouldn’t_. The thought alone was enough to make Alec rethink his next words.

He looked towards Lydia, a silent question posed at her. She crossed her arms across her chest and responded with her usual bold gaze. “Hodge might have made mistakes, but he shouldn’t die for them.”

Well that was that then.

Alec swallowed and said tentatively. “As you might be aware of I’m a little new to this law breaking thing. So… what’s the first step?”

Lydia blew out a relieved breath and Jace’s expression broke out into a grin.

Jace rubbed his hands together. “So…”

  As much as Simon liked to declared that Shadowhunters were nothing more than a bunch of thick-skulled security guards with social issues who needed the obvious stated to them at all times, it seemed that that statement wasn’t holding water at the moment. Shadowhunters, it seemed, were surprisingly hard to deceive. Alec would have loved to point that out to Simon if they weren’t currently thwarting their escape from the infirmary that they’d been locked in.

 

“Please, the Iratze isn’t having any effect on her. If we could just see Magnus. Let him have a look at her.”

The Shadowhunter stationed at the door gave Jace a derisive look that stretched past Jace’s shoulder towards where Alec and Lydia were crouched together on the floor, Alec’s hands placed protectively over her as she clutched at a feigned pain. Lydia groaned again for added effect and clutched at Alec’s shirt with white knuckles.

She almost had Alec convinced. Almost, it seemed, being the operative word.

“Nice try, Wayland. You know the rules though. Imogen said nobody leaves this room and nobody enters without her say so.”

The door slammed shut.

Jace growled and  punched it with his fist. “If she dies it’ll be on your conscience, you spineless ass-kisser!”

When that got no response, Alec helped Lydia up from the floor.

“Why did we think it was a good idea to have you speak on our behalf again?” he asked. “You’re the most distrustful one out of all of us.”

Lydia sighed and dropped back onto the infirmary bed, “Because we’re shit out of ideas, that’s why.”

Jace walked towards them. “The only thing we have going for us now is if the vampire literally gets transformed into a bat and flies us out of here. Which would be horribly ironic and very unlikely.”

Alec huffed with laughter. “Actually, with Simon’s pension for bad luck and Magnus’ foul mood…”

Jace squinted at him like he was quietly assessing Alec’s mental condition.

Alec cleared his throat and shrugged. “I’m just saying... it’s plausible.”

Lydia scowled at the parabatai like she wanted to knock both of their heads together but couldn’t be bothered to at the moment.

“I think the fact that we’re even debating this idea means we really need to get out of here.”  

Jace ran his fingers through his hair. “Agreed.”

The window squeaked open. “Someone care to help me over here? This is not easy to do in a dress.”

Alec ran to the window and yanked it open all the way.

He grinned in quiet amazement. “Izzy?”

She gripped the stone that framed the window, crouched down on her knees along the narrow ledge on her feet bare. The heels she’d been wearing were dangling on one wrist next to her whip.

Alec wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into the room.

Isabelle blew the hair out of her eyes. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to break a locking rune while kneeling on a ledge two floors up in the air with Magnus shouting instructions up at you from the street?”

Jace smirked. “I’m going to guess hard?”

“Magnus is with you?” Alec stuck his head out the window, eyes searching the street until he found him leaning against a light post, shielding his eyes with his hand. His hand dropped away from his face partially when he caught sight of Alec.

“I’m fine by the way. Thanks for asking, Alec.” Isabelle called from behind him,

Alec turned away from the window and pulled her into a hug. “Sorry. Thank you for coming to break us out.”

“Yeah,” said Jace. “You’re taking a big risk breaking the Clave’s laws again so soon for us.”

Jace looked towards the open window, eyeing the drop to the street. “So I’m guessing we’re going down?”

Isabelle grinned. “Wrong.”

There was a crackle of energy and light. In the time it took for Alec to blink the spots out of his eyes Jace was flat out on his back, his limbs tangled with that of another.

“You lose two points for not sticking the landing, Magnus.” stated Isabelle.

Magnus shifted stiffly, “Sweetheart, now is not the time. I think I broke something.”

Jace shoved Magnus off of him. “You think _you_ broke something? I’m the one that just got flattened by a projectile warlock.”

“You’re fine. Both of you.”

Alec helped them to their feet one at a time, Jace first and then Magnus. He allowed his hands to linger on Magnus after the other man had steadied himself. He didn’t fail to notice how Magnus’ hands laid heavy on his shoulder and chest before one hand slid up to cup his face.

“You had me scared for a minute there.” His thumb swiped across Alec’s cheek, catching the edge of Alec’s ear. “Next time I ask for some of your strength don't be afraid to say no.”

Alec pulled Magnus’ hand off of his cheek and squeezed it in his own. “You needed it.”

“Not if it risks your health. Besides, it’s not like I couldn’t have asked someone else.”

“Like who?”

“Like Simon, perhaps.” Magnus smiled. “You know that ‘powerful virgin Shadowhunter energy’ thing was a joke right? I can do the same thing with downworlders.”

“Oh.”

Magnus squeezed Alec’s hand. “C’mon. We need to get going.”

He looked at the other Shadowhunters in the room. “Form a chain and keep quiet.”

Lydia linked hands with Alec and Isabelle. “What are we doing?”

Magnus turned to look at her. “We’re walking through walls.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chaper guys! Thanks for sticking with me for so long.

Jace and Alec were a unified force to be reckoned with. It would seem that a few heartbreakingly tense days apart had done nothing to weaken their parabatai bond, only strengthen it. Alec separated from their human chain, shedding Magnus’ cloaking magic as he went. 

The shadowhunter guarding the training room doors registered the sound of footsteps too late. He turned in time to catch a glimpse of Alec before he slammed his elbow into the man’s face. The shadowhunter was knocked back on his ass, hands fumbling over his bloody nose.

“Don’t worry. It’s not broken.” Alec crouched down, hands searching through the man’s pockets until he found his stele and a ring of keys. The keys he tossed behind him toward Jace and Isabelle. The shadowhunter’s confusion only intensified when the keys seemingly vanished into thin air as they reached Isabelle’s fingers.

“How did you get out of the infirmary? And the keys...where did the keys go?” The shadowhunter’s words were distorted by his messed up nose. He searched the hall quickly, eyes lingering further down the hall where the sounds of voices and movements were audible.

Alec followed his line of sight. He closed his eyes briefly, making that face that usually meant he was constantly being disappointed by the people around him. “Don’t do it. Don’t scre—”

The shadowhunter was only able to utter the start of a warning cry before Alec slapped a hand over his mouth. He twisted around until he was behind the man, his free hand being used to fight off the shadowhunters attempts at freedom. 

“I told you not to scream, but does anyone listen to me? Of course not.”

“ _ Jace! _ ” Isabelle hissed. “Help him. Put him to sleep.”

Jace released Isabelle’s hand and lunged forward with his stele. His dropped onto his knees beside Alec, and yanked up the shadowhunter’s shirt to draw the rune on the man’s twisting torso. It wasn’t the finest work Alec had seen from Jace, but it did the job. The shadowhunter fell limp in Alec’s arms, his hands falling to his sides. 

Jace glanced warily further up the hall. “Let’s find someplace to hide him.”

Together they hefted the man up and shuffled backwards, stashing him in an alcove, his back resting against the base of the statue Raziel. 

By the time they returned Isabelle had unlocked the door to the training rooms. Jace and Alec slipped through behind her. 

“Lock the door behind us,” Magnus instructed. “We won't be returning that way.” 

The lock turned into place.

“I did say that you two were always a bad influence on Alec, but Magnus? I thought you’d have more sense?”

Alec turned to find Hodge sitting cross-legged on the floor inside a rune circle. 

“On the contrary, Starkweather, after living so long a life I have too much sense as to let Shadowhunters continue their witch hunts.”

“We’re here to free you,” said Lydia. “It isn't right what the clave is doing. You stood up to Valentine to protect Jace and Alec. You should be commended for that, not punished for it.”

Hodge frowned.

“You shouldn't have come. You’re risking too much going up against the clave like this.”

Magnus pointed a thumb at the door. “Oh I'm sorry, are you terribly busy? Do you want us to come back later when you’re feeling more up to it?”

He waved a hand. “That's fine. We only broke about...4-6 clave laws to get here. I'm sure if we head back to the infirmary and explain it to the clave  _ really  _ politely they’ll understand completely.”

Hodge scowled, but said nothing.

Magnus clapped his hands together. “That’s what I thought.”

Magnus circled the rune circle, eyes focused on reading the runes on the floor. Occasionally he’d extend a hand out in front of him and watch the walls of the magic prison pulse against his fingertips. Alec was standing at his shoulder, close enough for the rippling waves of magic energy to crash against him like waves in the ocean. The hairs on the back of his neck stood upright at the sensation. 

Jace shifted his weight to his other foot next to him, arms crossed across his chest. “Not to rush you, but we’re working on a tentative time schedule.”

“Jace.” Alec shook his head at his parabatai. “He knows. Leave him be. You don’t see him interrupting us when we track through our parabatai bond.”

Magnus was standing with his back to Alec, but he could practically see his raised eyebrows. “Even though tracking with my magic is immensely faster than your little handholding trick.”

Jace looked personally offended. “Parabatai tracking is an ancient and sacred form o—”

Magnus waved a hand over his shoulder. “Yeah, you’re bromance is really ‘special’. Now quiet and let me focus. I think I’ve got it.”

Lydia pressed her lips together but couldn’t completely hide her smile. 

Jace turned to Alec as Magnus began breaking down the barriers of the rune circle. 

“Are you just going to let him say that about our bond?”

Alec crossed his arms. “It’s not my job to pick sides or play mediator between the two of you. If you truly care about me,” he raised his voice higher, directing his words at Magnus as well. “You’ll learn to get along with each other instead of squabbling like children. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”

Jace grunted.

Hodge smiled at Alec. “You’re going to make great head of the institute someday.”

“I have a feeling the council will disagree with you.”

The barrier shimmered and fell away. Magnus extended a hand towards Hodge. Hodge took it and pulled himself to his feet. Magnus, however, wasn’t quick to release him. He squeezed Hodge’s hand tightly and Alec had a feeling it wasn’t Magnus’s physical strength that had Hodge bracing himself. Magnus had the potential to be lethal if you crossed him. He stepped close and spoke quietly with Hodge. Alec was tempted to trace a quick rune to listen in, but quickly decided against it. Judging from Magnus’ hostile expression whatever they were talking about, Alec was sure it wasn’t for him to hear. 

Alec would broach that question later when they were alone. There was no guarantee that Magnus would give him an answer, but a part of Alec thought he might already know the answer. Alec had never considered Hodge and Magnus friends, or even acquaintances, but he understood that trust had been broken on some level of their relationship. 

“Alright, everyone. Grab on.” said Magnus.

Alec took his spare hand, aware of Hodge’s eyes on him and Jace standing next to him. Perhaps he was thinking about their relationship and how he almost broke it? Maybe he was wondering where he stood in relationship to them now? He’d hurt them… saved them… and now they were saving him. Did that make them even? Had they balanced out the bad with the good? 

Alec was unsure himself. One thing was for certain, they couldn’t go back to what they’d had before. And seeing as how they were currently helping Hodge escape from the Clave, Alec was certain that none of them really wanted that.  

Alec shuddered as they moved forward, passing through the institute’s thick stone walls as if they were nothing. 

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t realize that they’d travelled further than a city block until Magnus and Alec simultaneously called his name. 

Alec blinked and stared at the gold painted lucky cat on the counter of the Jade Wolf restaurant. He looked around at the group of shadowhunters and downworlders that were huddled around him in the middle aisle of the restaurant.

Jace grasped Alec’s elbow and spoke quietly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Alec shook off his hand. “I’m just tired. And hungry.”

Alaric reached behind a pack member and picked up a stack of menus. “Can’t do anything about the first one, but the second one I can definitely fix. Grab a booth and order some lunch.”

Isabelle shrugged and slid into a booth. “I could eat.”

Alec glowered at her. “We just broke a Clave prisoner out of the institute. I really don’t think this is the time for lunch.”

“I disagree.” Magnus slid into the seat across from her and steepled his fingers with his elbows on the table top. “Like you said, we just broke some serious Clave laws. Whatever our next move is, it needs to be considered carefully.”

Lydia shifted closer to Alec. “You know he’s right. So go ahead, sit… relax. Have something to eat.”

Jace nudged him towards the table with a soft smile. “Listen to your friends. Besides, we need you at your best.”

Alec grunted and slide into the booth beside Isabelle. He picked up the menu in front of him, wondering if this mothering attitude was going to be a new thing with his friends and family from now on. He couldn’t entirely decided if he hated it or not… he thought, it might not be so terrible to have others looking out for him. 

He hunched a little lower in his seat with a small wavering smile, unused to the attention that was being focused on him.

It wasn’t long until that attention was shift towards the platters of food set in front of them. They dug in eagerly. 

It wasn’t until their plates were being cleared away that Alec noticed more downworlders had entered the restaurant, including Luke, who pulled a chair up to their table and sat backwards in it. 

“So, Hodge. You’re free. What’s next for you?” asked Luke.

Hodge rubbed at his beard. “I want to stay with you all. To help you fight back against Valentine’s men. He’s got the cup now and his army will be growing.”

There was a flicker in Luke’s expression that said he was thinking  _ no thanks to you _ , but thankfully he kept silent. 

Hodge continued. “I know I have to leave, though. I’d only be leading more trouble your way with the Clave howling for my arrest. They won’t give up until they find me. Better that I’m in a different country, far away from your all, when that time comes.”

“Will you go back to your family?” Alec asked, remembering their conversation while he was being held captive. 

Hodge gave a sad smile. “Perhaps, though not at first. Not until it’s safe.”

There were no guarantees on when that would be. 

“And the rest of you?” asked Luke with a glance around the table.

“We go after Valentine.” stated Jace.

“Except we do it the right way, this time.” Alec was quick to add in with a stern look at his parabatai. “All of us. Together. And not just Shadowhunters, but Downworlders too.”

“You really think you can do that? You’re talking about uniting the Shadow World?” asked Luke.

Alec shrugged. “If it’s for the right cause, I don’t see why not.”

“I agree,” said Magnus. “Valentine is threatening to destroy everything that we hold dear. It isn’t just Shadowhunters who will be affected by this, it’s anyone who stands in his way. If he’s forming an army, let’s make one of our own.”

Alec shared a look with the people around him. Friends, family, a lover. The Downworlders around them clustered together in groups, their voices rising with growing excitement and concern alike. Alec couldn’t help feeling the same. They would all need time to prepare themselves for the war that would inevitably come. Despite his own fears for the future, Alec was reassured of one thing; there wasn’t a better group of people that he wanted to go to war with. 

Jace grinned and reached across the table and grasped Alec’s hand fiercely in his own. Alec knew that whatever happened next, nothing would separate them from each other ever again.  “Let’s get started.”


End file.
